Loosing your job isn't the hard part!

I know I'm not alone.

I know I am not the only person out there who has [at this time, or any] lost their job and somehow, strangely, there is some comfort in that. And I know that I am not the only person to face huge difficulties and obstacles when trying to establish what my entitlements are [if any] for social welfare.

[This isn't a 'woe is me' post, ok maybe it is... just a little but] I am totally flummoxed as to way this process is so down right painful and humiliating!

Having lost my business to the recession I am now loosing my job to it to [and most of my sanity].

That sucks, it does. BUT because I was self employed, and I don't have the right credits in the right years, or the right order or whatever cock and bull story I happen to get on the phone from all the Government Agencies I've phoned and because I was born on a Thursday, under a full moon I probably wont get a cent in benefits or allowances - but nobody actually seems to be able to give me a credible answer on this.

You hear stories of my 'uncle's, brother's, hairdressers, cousin' got the sun, moon and stars; is still working part-time and at college and on full benefits [ok I have no evidence to back that scenario up, but you get the type of 'stories I am referring to] and I wonder... why? Why is it that after 7 years employment, followed by almost 4 years of being self employed to I qualify for nothing... nada... [or so it seems... cause nobody can actually seem to give me a straight answer and every where I turn there is contradictory information...]

Loosing your job is heart breaking, emotional and scary... applying for [or at least trying to] social welfare benefits or allowances is worse... way worse... the system will chew me up and spit me out... and at the end of it? Ill be battered and emotionally bruised, with nothing. - Thanks social welfare! I feel my welfare has been really catered to!