I helped my mother apply for a free bus pass as she has arthritis and gets incapacity benefit for her condition. She cannot walk very far and especially with her essential food shopping and hence she wanted a travel pass to use buses to help make her food shopping easier.

I sent the application form off and we got it back as she did not provide a proof of address… Fair enough - but I simply didn’t see a request for this - my fault!

Anyway, the letter requesting the proof of address was addressed to Ms [my mother's name], so I assume it is OK to assume that she is female!? So, why then, is the letter headed Dear Sir/Madam.

In addition, and this matter really makes me furious, is at the end of the letter it states “Yours Sincerely,” [gap for signature], “Travel Schemes Section”. Why didn’t anyone bloody sign the letter?