Hidden Benefits

I apologise in advance for the subject matter of this post, which is rather humdrum, and therefore completely devoid of poetry.

That's life (sometimes), I'm afraid...

See, yesterday I received a surprising letter. Of the kind one never really expects to receive, except in dreams.
It was from the CAF (our equivalent of the Benefits Office – giver of family allowance, etc.), which, of course, made me instantly wary. What could they possibly want from me?
My eyes had barely scanned the letter and I was already halfway to the phone, read to complain.
But… hang on a minute.
Closer inspection revealed something astounding. The Benefits Office was offering to GIVE me money! Entirely unprompted! I hadn’t even dreamed of asking them for money, presuming (as one does) that I’d just never be entitled to anything.

Turns out, I am.
Madame, wrote the polite, nameless, kindly Benefits person, we owe you money. We should have been paying you this money since last December. We will rectify our error at once. And from now on, you will be receiving X euros per month.

My hands trembled. Could it be true??
British scepticism popped to the surface and I thought, “better ring them and make sure it’s not a mistake. I mean, it’s probably a mistake, right?”However, as soon as I expressed this thought to 1/ FH and 2/ A colleague, I was shot down unanimously with a barrage of horrified “What?! Don’t be so stupid!! Of course you don’t call them! You just accept it!” that made me feel a bit silly.

So I have decided, in effect, to accept that, for once, the murky world of institutions and administration has smiled down on me. It’s my lucky day.
I still can’t quite believe it though.

You know how people say that it’s a bit shameful to be “on benefit”, and that it’s hard to accept “hand outs”, etc?
Well… nope.
After years of paying in, I can shamelessly confirm that it actually feels pretty good ;-)