A friend who once worked for the (now long-dead) National Coal Board, in South Yorkshire, nearly lost her job when she reviewed a Senior Manager's letter to the widow of a retired miner. The bit that nearly led to her downfall read,

"... we must accordingly revise your concessionary coal entitlement in line with your changed circumstances, to three and a half tons per anum. "


The NCB was never noted for its generosity to its workforce, but this suggestion was clearly over the top.