[Sundae]

Just to update on the tax refund situation - in case anyone was hanging on...

Turns out ALL the advice I had was incorrect in some way, and most of it way off.
After waiting over two weeks, my P45 was returned to me with a note to say that the DWP does not issue tax refunds, and I had to contact my local tax office. Funnily enough, they were the people I called back at the beginning of April.

So I still don't know what the correct thing to do is officially - over 8 weeks later.

But I've sent what I have to the postal address in Cardiff, which I have been advised has a 7 week backlog of post. And I've now put it out of my head, because it will happen or it won't, and I've done all I can, following advice in good faith to end up where I started.

Anyway, the real thing that irked me, but will work out just fine is that my bank applied a 64p interest charge to my account last week. Which put me 54p over my agreed overdraft limit of £120. And that 120 was already there solely to pay back fines imposed by said bank for previous minor infractions. It was reducing at £20 a month, for which pleasure I was being charged, having had no pleasure from the money in the first place.

This means I have £59 for the next two weeks. Oh except bills come out at the beginning of the month, so in fact I have £24. £9 after I go to London on Wednesday - something I will not cancel, frivolous as it now seems.

I could have argued the toss. But that will be the third time I've had to, and I just thought - enough is enough. I'll now have two lean weeks, then this stupid reducing overdraft, which I was having real trouble keeping track of, is out of my hair. As is the £20 every month. As is petty little interest charges making big differences to my known finances.

I have Diz food and litter, and I have a cupboard full of food I can't keep stockpiling. So it's all for the best in the long run.