Wednesday 24 January 2007

Sorry Saga of the Student Allowance Struggle

On Monday I received ANOTHER letter from StudyLink asking me for proof of my bank account information for the THIRD time for my student allowance!! Here's what has happened so far:

- Way back in December as you may recall I went into the StudyLink office in the city to provide all my documents for the first time upon applying online. They accepted my application form, my birth certificate, but not the letter from my employer nor my bank statement, as I got it from an ATM machine and it didn't have my name on it.
- After receiving a bank statement in the mail in early January, I decided to return to the city office to provide my bank statement and this time a letter stating I won't be employed till after I start uni. The StudyLink people accepted both and submitted them.
- A few days later I got a letter telling me they couldn't accept my bank statement (for some unknown reason), and so I rang StudyLink to find out what was wrong. A very apologetic man told me that while the letter regarding my employment was accepted he had no idea why my bank statement wasn't, and said I had two options. I could either try again by bringing my bank statement down to my local WINZ office, or he could try find out what happened, which would take several weeks. He thought the former was the best option.
- The next day (last Friday) I drove to WINZ (all by myself! :D...with my dad beside me...) and gave them my bank statement, which the guy said he'd fax to StudyLink
- On Monday I got another letter from StudyLink asking for proof of my bank account number by bank statement or other verified document! I rang StudyLink and they told me they hadn't received anything since the last bank statement I provided to the city office! They recommended I go back to WINZ to find the guy I dealt with and ask if he faxed it.

Where I'm up to now? I decided I would go down to the bank, ask the bank manager for a statement/letter with my bank account number and have it stamped and signed. As Hamish had to go into the city yesterday for Summer School anyway, he took in both the letter as well as the bank statement and provided it to the city office. They said they only required the bank statement. Hopefully third time lucky!!!

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