2nd February, 2021.
You know, I had an appointment, yesterday: at the opticians.
Which went well enough: I’ve now got two pairs of spectacles on order, which I pick up, next week.
Given I’ve another hygienists appoint, a health check with the opticians, a meeting with my Health and Work programme and a meeting with my Job Centre case worker?
I’ve a busy few days ahead of me.
If it wasn’t for COVID? I’d be having a social whirl.
At ANY rate?
I’m out of work, as you know: and finding job hunting a rather grim chore.
So you know?
In order to claim benefits, we’re supposed to keep an online journal, to show the Job Centre we’re actively seeking work.
I did my usual job search, yesterday: keeping notes about what I’d applied for as I went.
Which is a result of long practise, I should add.
I’m grateful I did.
As, for some reason? I couldn’t log into my account on the Universal Credit site: for most of the day.
I thought — at first — that the problem could be something to do with the arson attack on three BT junction boxes in Chelmsford: that maybe the damage had cut the lines to the local servers.
The servers would be working, in other words: but totally inaccessible.
But, according to a Tweet I got from the Job Centre?
Hi, we are aware of an ongoing issue which is preventing our colleagues and customers from accessing the Universal Credit system. This is an national issue which is currently being investigated as we speak.
— JCP Jobs Plus More (@JCPJobsPlusMore) February 1, 2021
It was a national incident.
What caused it, and what’s possibly happened? I don’t know.
I notice it happened on a Monday: a day experience tells me will be very busy, as people with problems that couldn’t be addressed at the weekend, phone the people who can solve them.
On top of that? It was the day after web retailer, Asos, announced it was buying three of Arcadia’s brands: but not taking on the physical shops. Meaning a lot of Arcadia employees would be trying to get through to the Universal Credit site.
Which is what I think could have caused the problem: god knows how many people applying for Universal Credit, and overwhelming the system.
I won’t know, until the Job Centre, or the Department of Work and Pensions, make a statement about the incident.
Where does that leave me?
Mildly worried.
Have my bank details on the site, been hacked? My personal details? Will I be paid as normal? Will I need to change my passwords? Will it happen, again? Will I need to keep another offline diary? Will I get sanctioned?
I don’t know: I’m going to have to cross those bridges when I get to them.
What actually happened, yesterday?
I don’t know.
But I’d like to find out.
I think the bodies running that site owe us an explanation, if nothing else.
~≈🖥≈~
