Jeez, we’re really getting the runaround here. I’ve called up Work and Income far too many times. The first time the girl informed me I should call Studylink and get BF added onto my allowance (apparently, despite the fact he doesn’t study). I called Studylink. A machine informed me that the contact centre was overloaded and not operating as normal. It then directed me to their website, and HUNG UP on me!!! A machine!!!

I checked the site. Right. Of course. We’re under 23 and our relationship isn’t recognised by them anyway. OK – back to WINZ.

This time I merely explained I was working and studying, leaving out mention of Student Allowance. For some reason, BF was asked if he had ever been in the armed forces. Don’t know if that affected anything… The guy then told him he might receive $74 a week. Better than nothing, which was what I was expecting given I make more than the unemployment rate for a couple net anyway. Isn’t that ridiculous? $305 after tax for two people.

BF wasn’t happy. The guy had initially told him $360, but after deducting my pay from that, somehow left him with just over $70.

He’s going to some seminar there tomorrow, so maybe by some wild stroke of luck he’ll land a random job. He’s fairly bummed to not have heard back from any of the jobs he applied for (plus the many more I applied for on his behalf…) I explained he shouldn’t feel bad at all, even at the best of times you rarely hear back from anyone. It’s certainly not a reflection on him! With the marked in the toilet, it could be awhile. I think back on all the jobs I’ve applied for in my lifetime; it’s probably in the hundreds, but you just gotta keep going. BF’s just been really lucky so far with work. Everything has been through contacts/word of mouth; he’s never got a job through responding to an ad.