[professore]

I'm as Irish as they come, but my wife is Belgian and we get the letters every 3 months. We've lived here since 1998 and have 2 kids born and raised here. We're no more or less likely to leave than anyone else, especially now.

To be honest it's a form of discrimination against "non-nationals" - either everyone should get these letters or no-one should.

[mp22]

5. This is not a forum for critiscizing Government Departments or Semi-State Bodies.

5a - 5 includes the policies of the Government Departments or Semi-State Bodies

If this discussion can continue without infringing on the above fair enough,if not the thread will be closed.

mp22

[LovelyHurling]

Originally Posted by cee_jay

From www.welfare.ie:

Anti-fraud checks
EU/EEA citizens and Swiss national covered by EU Regulations are required to certify every 4 months that they continue to work in this State.

What do they mean 'continue to work in the state'. Since when do you have to be working to receive child benefit? If an EU citizen working in Ireland loses their job, they are still entitled to child benefit.

Since Irish people are also EU citizens, that paragraph does not really clarify whether or not Irish citizens have to prove their continuing residence here or not.

[GerardKeating]

Originally Posted by vicM

And yet its still an issue for some

Actually the last two times there was no envelope. :-(

[cee_jay]

Child Benefit is a payment subject to Habitual Residence Condition. However, Child Benefit is classed as a Family Benefit under EU regulations. Therefore, EU/EEA citizens and Swiss nationals working in Ireland satisfy the habitual residence condition for Child Benefit.
From the guidelines:

Child Benefit is classified under EU law as a Family Benefit. Applicants whose entitlement to Child Benefit derive from the application of the provisions of EEC Regulation 1408/71 do not have to satisfy the condition as European legislation takes precedence over Irish legislation. In effect the EU rules contained in Articles 73 to 76 of Regulation 1408/71 governing the payment of family benefit to migrant workers from EEA Member States override the habitual residence requirements under the Social Welfare Acts.

These rules apply to employed or self employed EEA nationals, who have become subject to Irish PRSI since coming to Ireland, and their entitlement continues if they become unemployed and receive Irish Unemployment Benefit.

But if an EEA national comes to Ireland, and never works, they would be subject to Habitual Residence Condition. Also, if you lose your job, and don't claim benefits it seems you may lose this entitlement.

[LovelyHurling]

But surely all child benefit recipients are subject to habitual residence conditions - just like most social welfare claims.

So can someone clarify whether or not Irish people (Irish citizens) are obligated to prove their ongoing residence in Ireland on a thrice-yearly basis?

The welfare link posted earlier doesn't really clarify this, as Irish people are 'EU citizens' just like people from 26 other member states.

[wmpdd3]

Right I was talking to some in payroll, about 50 employees where I work were not born in Ireland and have children.

Most have had to fill out these form atleast once a year. One girl didnt, she's married to an irish guy and both she and her baby have his sirname.

One girl is from Africa, she has had the form every 4 months since her two kids were born.

3 girl used to work with me, but now dont work, their husbands work. They have not had to fill in the forms since they left work.

One friend of mine is marries to a german guy and has never had to fill out the forms.

Dont know what any of the is can really tell you but I have still to find an Irish born person who has had to fill out the forms.

[LovelyHurling]

How is child benefit paid, through the post office?

Surely a more hassle free method from the point of view of the SWO could simply be to put a short expiry on post office transfers, and thereafter to monitor post office collections?

I mean that's what happens with JSA, so why not Child Benefit too?

[mrsbyrne]

Originally Posted by LovelyHurling

How is child benefit paid, through the post office?

Surely a more hassle free method from the point of view of the SWO could simply be to put a short expiry on post office transfers, and thereafter to monitor post office collections?

I mean that's what happens with JSA, so why not Child Benefit too?

most child benefit claimants are paid into bank accounts. Child benefit and JSA are simply not comparable at all.

[Agent_99]

Originally Posted by wmpdd3

Dont know what any of the is can really tell you but I have still to find an Irish born person who has had to fill out the forms.

I am Irish Born married to Irish Man, 2 Irish Kids and have had to fill in the form a least once a year for the last few years. Our surname is the second most common in Ireland.

[hootietootie]

As I said earlier, they have told me that everyone will have to fill these out. I am Irish, my partner is Irish, my money is not paid into the bank, I collect the week it comes out.

[LovelyHurling]

Originally Posted by mrsbyrne

most child benefit claimants are paid into bank accounts. Child benefit and JSA are simply not comparable at all.

Nobody said they were comparable in a general sense - where they are comparable, though, is in the sense that one must be resident in the state to continue claiming these sorts of transfer payments.

And one way the the DSP ensure that JSA claimants remain resident is for a short expiry condition on welfare transfers via the post office. If you don't pick it up within about 6 days, it's gone (unless you can explain later why you missed the payment).

Why not just cut the paperwork & do the same for Child Benefit? get rid of bank transfers altogether.

[professore]

MAybe it's everyone that gets paid by bank transfer then? I know we do.

[spurious]

I have a Latvian friend. She gets these letters too. Her replies used to 'go missing', so she registers everything now.

[wmpdd3]

I would have no problem collecting it in the post-office, it would keep many of them open and viable. But if you work full time, you'd only have a 4 hr window per week to collect it. As long as they left it in the post office for 3 weeks (in case you go on holiday), it might be OK.