What an [adjective] time!

Another 6 months since I have written anything in here. I wonder why...

Still, I have now moved and I am in another single bedroom unit in the north of Brisbane (I was south of Brisbane, in case I hadn't mentioned that). I suppose I should have settled down years ago, but my aphasia (with my stroke) has only improved in the past 2 years. Perhaps that was because I used to isolate myself during the COVID-19 pandemic. I know that everyone was supposed to, but I didn't break any laws!

This term I have finished another two papers for the Master of Creative Writing course. I actually didn't really enjoy both the units this time, but I have started another story which might just become my next novel. I so hope so!

I have been so distressed until right now. Right this moment! In April I was very upset with the increase - yet again - of the life (death) insurance which I had taken out in 2013, before I ended up in hospital in 2014 with the brain aneurysm, stroke and aphasia. The aphasia played badly with my memory, and after April 2014 I had no memory of this policy. I was put on to DSP as I could no longer work.I didn't even find out who this company was until 2018.

I contacted Australian Seniors Insurance and spoke to a person whose name I do not know in June 2019, when my previous premium had been increased to $37.59. I asked for the premium charge to be reduced as I could not have afford this - double what I had started this policy with in 2013. I hadn't found out about the premiums for this policy until 2017, which had increased that year to $29.82. It was increased again in 2018 and 2019 and after I found out about the Australian Seniors finally in 2019, it reduced to $33.66 on 19 June 2019. For me, that was still too much. Back then I have no memory of talking to anyone from Australian Seniors about stopping the increased premiums. Three years later I still tried to contact the staff: I spoke to "Marie" at 5.30pm, 8 April 2022. I later rang "Andrew" and "Corinne" on 11 April this year and 13 April this year. I was not told where this had been sent. On 13 April I also sent two documents to Andrew and Corinne: those documents had information about my stroke and aphasia back in 2014, and from the ABIOS person who assisted me for months after I was discharged. On 26 April I received an email from "Emily" advising that my complaint had been sent on to the "Internal Disputes Resolution Department and is currently under review".  

On 26 April Emily had cc’d to customercare@greenstone who I later found out – 16 May - was Maria Pinzon, the first time I had heard from her. She had posted a letter dated 6 May which I did not receive until 16 May. She advised me that my claim had been declined.

I was extremely upset that the Australian Seniors company had no interest in my stroke and aphasia and the fact that I did not again become aware of the company until 2019. Since then it has taken me three years to get this far. I still live with aphasia, and I have very little communication with any person by vocalising. I fully believe that the company Greenstone and/or Australian Seniors should have cancelled my policy from the date of the stroke and aphasia. Since then I had no communication with the company until I found out who the direct debit was for. I personally believe that from 2017 onwards they had no absolute permission from me to continue with this policy. I certainly believe that they had no permission from me for the continuation of the policy while I had begun to live with the stroke and aphasia - which will affect me for the rest of my life. Since February in 2017, when I became aware of the Australian Seniors company, I have paid approximately $4,799.22 for premiums, which I should not have had. I cancelled the policy on 20 May this year. That is $4,799.22 out of my DSP benefit, which I have been paid with since April 2014. What right did Australian Seniors and Greenstone have to continue taking it from me without finding out what happened to me?

Their letter says "There is no need for you to do anything..." I firmly believe that every person should be asked to sign for an increased premium. I have never had to do that. I would like a refund of all the premiums I have paid since February 2017, which is when I became aware of the policy and had to make a lot of attempts to find out the name of the company. I have sent a complaint further up the line, this time to ACFA. I hope they will find positive for me!

When I moved here I got refunded bond from my previous address, and my electricity account was in credit so they refunded that. I wish that other people who became aware of what had happened to me should have/could have had a conversation face-to-face with me to help me sort out the issues. 

Another company which refused to refund six months of a membership fee was RACQ. My car and my contents insurance had been with them for years, and I never questioned the cost, until I moved here and found another insurance company who offered the contents policy for a quarter of the price that I had paid to RACQ! I cancelled my car because I won't be driving it any more (I loved it for the past 12 years, but the cost of petrol has put it right out of my reach), and they told me that I would still be a member until January 2023 - even though I have no car and no contents with them any more! Why do companies do that? I find that insulting. 

Anyway, I am to start the next term of the units for the Master of Creative Writing I am doing, and I really hope these units will be enjoyable. Perhaps I shouldn't have blamed the previous units, because the issues I had to sort out were not theirs.

Still, I am now living within 1.5kms from my daughter and her partner, and their lovely wee girl - my granddaughter! Sometimes I think it's warmer up here than down where I was!

Have a wonderful rest of the year!