YEP! It finally happened, I’ve been officially FTC’d. HRA caught up with me and realized I have not been participating in the WeCARE classroom activities or even showing up at the Arbor WeCARE offices on Elm Place in downtown Brooklyn. I *think* I have a Fair Hearing scheduled on the 22nd to present evidence to dispute this FTC finding. My evidence, such as it is, are three letters from my psychiatrist and psychologist stating that the best environment and optimal setting for me to conduct a job search is in my home office where I also need to do my work as a freelance journalist to make enough income to cover at least part of my rent . And, also that HRA has NEVER sent me any follow-up documentation about any of my meetings, reviews, visits or anything else, so I have no clue about the status of or what is going on with my case.
Another participant, who has been FTC’d five times said to me, “Well you’re really not part of the system unless you’ve been FTC’d.” But I don’t really want to keep going back, lining up in front of the Linden Job Center in downtown Brooklyn in the chilly morning air at 7:30 a.m. to open a new case. Fortunately, I have been recruited and heavily courted for a well-paying PR/Marketing job at a hospital in NYC. I have an interview on Tuesday and hope to move forward with it. I feel hopeful about this job potentiality and hope to not have to deal with HRA much longer. It’s a punishing and punitive system, not at all what it pretends to be, a source of assistance for people down on our luck. It’s a road to certain failure–HRA sets it up that way. I choose to be–and always have been–on the road to success.
I’m writing an article based on my experiences and that of others working their way through HRA for a NYC publication that I will link to here when it goes live this week. Please stay tuned.
Wow, congratulations on the interview. I’m sending good thoughts in hopes that it goes great and they hire you right away.
Thanks, Ari. You’ve been a great supporter through all of this and I thank you for that.
yes, my congratulations also on the job interview! it’s no secret that they set up welfare to be incredibly troublesome and the money is hardly worth the time you spend dicking around to get it. it’s a disincentive in itself, quite clever really. the whole system is so ugly but then, how much better is 9-5?…………. I hate needing money.
The ol’ 9-to-5 ain’t a great bargain, but it’ll werk…