means test

sinburton

Hi,

Can someone please explain about the means test, in particular the habitual residence part. I own and live in a house in dublin, but since getting made redundant I visit my immediate family in another part of the country quite often. Is it the case, someone pops around without warning and you need to be there all the time.. how does it work.

thanks

patpark121

No if they make a decision to call you will be notified 2-3 days in advance to have any relevant documentation ready for them on their visit. The only reason for a surprise visit is if you have being reported or are under suspicion of trying to fraudulently claim benefits.

tomred1

The habitual residence part (HRC) is only done on claims when the claiment has been out of the country for a period of time.
Regarding the above post, an inspector usually calls unnotified. If your not there they would leave a note.

JUSTaCURIOCITY

patpark121 wrote: »

No if they make a decision to call you will be notified 2-3 days in advance to have any relevant documentation ready for them on their visit. The only reason for a surprise visit is if you have being reported or are under suspicion of trying to fraudulently claim benefits.

Who would report you and why they should be any suspicious ? i do not understand. It is obvious that you might not be at home . You are not obliged to sit on your boom all the time and wait for people to pop in . So what if I am away to Bray when living in city centre ?

shoegirl

JUSTaCURIOCITY wrote: »

Who would report you and why they should be any suspicious ? i do not understand. It is obvious that you might not be at home . You are not obliged to sit on your boom all the time and wait for people to pop in . So what if I am away to Bray when living in city centre ?

I understand that used to be the case of for example, somebody claiming to be a lone parent, but actually in reality having a partner living with them, or somebody who is suspected of working on the black economy. It is sadly more common than it should be.

JUSTaCURIOCITY

right- that is sisk thinking - not trusting everyone . must be a nightmare.

shoegirl

I hate to say it but I spent 2 years 6 years ago living in a house divided up into flats where I was the only tenant with a job, and a couple of years in Dublin in the late 90s where it was 50/50 working and welfare-dependent tenants. I'm sorry to say that quite a few of them had to leave due to their benefits being withdrawn as welfare decided they were not looking for work. They were almost entirely young male and single, just one was a girl. I cqan understand them double checking just to be sure, I know quite a few people who were strategically on welfare for one reason or another or simply didn't want to work. A lot of the time they do get caught, and these inspections are part of that process. Unfortunately genuine people like yourself do get inspected also, consider it no different than being randomly breath tested - it doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong.

JUSTaCURIOCITY

I know. I appreciate truly you concern about honesty. I just can not image officer jumping from a corner and demanding you to let him/ her in. They must be like a secret police... i herd lots of weird theories. I do need a support but I just do no wish to feel followed or checked . What if i have a body-friend just to sleep with . are they going to research that too. That is scary.... But do you know what I mean .I am qualified Architect and definitely at the moment there is no work for me there . But those officers judge situation through stereotypes and predictions... like in Middle ages. Oh you have bit more than 500 eu . you must be rich so we will not give you allowance.... What if they can imagine that the next moth my mortgage will ' eat ' 1000 euro out of my savings and then I will be not that 'rich’ anymore... It is all wrong- I talked to guy from INOU . Even him admitted that Ireland has no specified social support legislation

Mrs. MacGyver

Thats ridicolous of course there is legislation governing social welfare.

JUSTaCURIOCITY

ok

thebullkf

Mrs. MacGyver wrote: »

Thats ridicolous of course there is legislation governing social welfare.

Hi all,
Just a quick query read a few posts and mrs macgyver seems to know her merde !
lol.
I've just been made redundant after 14 yrs
32 y.o.
mortgage/co-habiting
1 child
applied for over 100 jobs since feb.(had a feeling things were going downhill in my particular job)
4 interviews
0 offers

I now have absolutely no idea what to do regarding the dole as i've never been unemployed ..
what i'm entitled to etc.
planning on visiting cit inform. office but do i just go in emptyhanded???
any and all advice greatly appreciated.
thanks folks

ps i live in dublin 9.(not sure if it matters)

patrickc

thebullkf wrote: »

Hi all,
Just a quick query read a few posts and mrs macgyver seems to know her merde !
lol.
I've just been made redundant after 14 yrs
32 y.o.
mortgage/co-habiting
1 child
applied for over 100 jobs since feb.(had a feeling things were going downhill in my particular job)
4 interviews
0 offers

I now have absolutely no idea what to do regarding the dole as i've never been unemployed ..
what i'm entitled to etc.
planning on visiting cit inform. office but do i just go in emptyhanded???
any and all advice greatly appreciated.
thanks folks

ps i live in dublin 9.(not sure if it matters)

Hi

the best thing to do is go to your local social welfare office, you will need i.d and a p45

you will be entitled to the social welfare rate plus a little extra for one child.again they will means test you, but my advice is do this sooner rather than later, because the waiting times to process application are very slow at present

thebullkf

thanks patrickc. appreciate it

Xiney

If you've been employed (paying PRSI) for 14 years continuously (especially in 2007) then you will be eligible for Jobseeker's Benefit which is not means tested. It also takes less time for your claim to come through.

thebullkf

thanks xiney ,
was in local welfare office this am.......christ !!!!
have to go back tomo as there were 60 people ahead of me :eek::eek::eek:

IT Loser

thebullkf wrote: »

thanks xiney ,
was in local welfare office this am.......christ !!!!
have to go back tomo as there were 60 people ahead of me :eek::eek::eek:

Do you mind if I ask where your local office is?

Mine is in Bray, Co. Wicklow.

I went down last Thursday.

I was there first and the queue was around 20 people by 9:30AM when they opened the doors.

I dont know what happened thereafter as I got through the process fairly fast.

thebullkf

coolock,north dublin
it has a ticket system(as im sure they all do)... have to go back AGAIN as i didnt have a letter from my old job confirming i was let go:(

IT Loser

thebullkf wrote: »

coolock,north dublin
it has a ticket system(as im sure they all do)... have to go back AGAIN as i didnt have a letter from my old job confirming i was let go:(

Yeah Bray has a ticket system too. They go one better though- they have double doors- then a hatch, where you get a ticket- then more double doors. Eventually, if you are lucky, you get to take a seat.

You are bumrushing nobody in Bray!!!!!


Best of luck with it anyways.