Good day at the gates of bureauracy

I had to visit KELA today , and I felt miserable already last night because of that. Last April I went there to apply for some benefit, and the clerk told me I wasn't entitled for it cause I'm already receiving some other. Summer went by and couple of weeks ago I met my social worker. She asked about the benefit and got bristled after hearing what had happened with the application. She was sure I should have gotten the benefit even without any applications. So we filled in a new one, I dug that old and torn application from my waste paper bin and took them both to KELA this morning. I was lucky, for the clerk I met this morning happened to be the head of the local office. After hearing my story she really took all the effort to solve my problem. She took in my applications and confirmed what my social worker had told me about the benefit. She said the clerk back in April had made a mistake and that she was going to have a chat with her. And since the mistake was KELA's I might receive my lost benefits retroactively and in full. It's not much, but I was really taken by the helpfullness and good service I received this time.

The lesson here: When dealing with KELA, be persistent and never throw anything away.

Love,

Tiina