The Saga of Cog In The Machine, Part Four
Jul. 23rd, 2005 08:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elfsYamaarashi-chan has come to live with me and my family, and that entails certain legal re-arrangements, some of which involve dealing with the child support enforcement officer to whom I charitably refer as Cog In The Machine #4. (For previous adventures with Cogs In The Machine #2 and #3, read Wheels, Cogs, Social Workers from September, 2003.)
Today, I received a letter from Cog In The Machine #4, and I opened it up. I had some idea of what to expect-- and what that was is really none of your business. What I got instead was unexpected.
It was a request for a hearing, claiming that the obligor parent was unemployed and could not pay child support. It bewildered me; such arrangements have nothing to do with the state of my case. And I looked up at the header and realized that Cog #4 had put someone else's case mail in the envelope she was sending me. The name, the case number, everything, were for a different case.
This really bothers me. Because it means that some of my case paperwork may have ended up in yet another mail envelope. It tells me that my case worker is either incompetent or overworked or both, and has poor procedure in place for reducing these kinds of errors. And because I have in my hands private and personal details about a family-- indeed a tragedy-- in which I have no stake and about which I really, for the sake of privacy and propriety, should know nothing at all.
I have called Cog #4 and let her know about the error. But I had to leave voice mail and she won't be back in the office until Tuesday. Let's hope the problem gets resolved quickly and professionally.
Today, I received a letter from Cog In The Machine #4, and I opened it up. I had some idea of what to expect-- and what that was is really none of your business. What I got instead was unexpected.
It was a request for a hearing, claiming that the obligor parent was unemployed and could not pay child support. It bewildered me; such arrangements have nothing to do with the state of my case. And I looked up at the header and realized that Cog #4 had put someone else's case mail in the envelope she was sending me. The name, the case number, everything, were for a different case.
This really bothers me. Because it means that some of my case paperwork may have ended up in yet another mail envelope. It tells me that my case worker is either incompetent or overworked or both, and has poor procedure in place for reducing these kinds of errors. And because I have in my hands private and personal details about a family-- indeed a tragedy-- in which I have no stake and about which I really, for the sake of privacy and propriety, should know nothing at all.
I have called Cog #4 and let her know about the error. But I had to leave voice mail and she won't be back in the office until Tuesday. Let's hope the problem gets resolved quickly and professionally.
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no subject
Date: 2005-07-24 06:48 am (UTC)The good news is that they care about you case probably as much as you care about theirs. In other words a bit of "look at this guy's problems" and that's about it.