Which Social Welfare Office to go to?

Stevecw

Just a quick question that i am wondering about regarding where i should go to sign on.
I have been out of work over a month now and after no luck finding something i have to swallow my pride and claim the dole.
But the thing is i am renting a flat in Dublin City, and most weekends i would come home to Carlow.
So i spend most of my time in Dublin, and even now am usually there looking for work.
Should i go to the Social Welfare Office in Carlow, or in Dublin? Or does it matter.
My official address would still be parents home in Carlow, but as i am 28 would that matter?
Thanks in advance

mikemac

Been in your situation but two different counties.
A lot less hassle if you apply for Carlow

2xj3hplqgsbkym

Definitely go to Carlow,
Dublin offices have crazy queues. My husband was waiting almost 5 months for the Coolock office to sort out his straight forward application. Completely incompetent, he had to go to the regional manager to complain in the end.

Stevecw

Thanks for the advice, thats what i would have thought too.

But today i went to the Carlow place and was told that i would have to apply in Dublin
The girl said as that is where i am renting, and where i spend most of my time that i would have to go to a Dublin office.
Also something about applying for rent allowance in Dublin too.

If queues are as bad as ^ say, i'm not looking forward to that.
Today i was only waiting about 30 mins in Carlow.
I'm annoyed about it, but i'll try Dublin tomorrow and see what happens!

Mrs OBumble

Stevecw wrote: »

But the thing is i am renting a flat in Dublin City, and most weekends i would come home to Carlow.
So i spend most of my time in Dublin, and even now am usually there looking for work.
....
My official address would still be parents home in Carlow, but as i am 28 would that matter?

If you are renting in Dublin, then how on earth can YOUR "official" address be somewhere else. (Please, please don't tell us that you take your washing home to mammy every weekend!)

Of course you need to sign-on in Dublin: this is where you live, this is where most of the jobs are, this is where you'll be on signing-on day.

IsThatSo?

When I was renting (for years and years) I considered my "official" address to be my parents home, until I bought my own home. I only used it for important documents but just felt that some stuff was better going to my parents house in case I ever missed anything when I was moving from one rented accomodation to another

Ticktactoe

I would assume from the above that they told you to go to the Dublin office so that you could claim some Rent allowance. If you are renting in Dublin then thats where you would sign on to claim the allowance. Otherwise, if you are using Carlow as your official address then there would be no problem going to the Carlow office.

I used my home address as my official address until I stopped renting and owned my own home. Using rented accomodation as your official address can sometimes be difficult as you don't know if you will still be renting in the same place in a months time! Best having your confidental mail going to a permanent address, me thinks!