For anyone on jobseekers benefit whose stamps are due to run out

fifibibi

Hello, I have ben on jobseekers benefit, and since the new April budget i was informed that my stamps would soon run out because in the budget they reduced how long you get paid for stamps. They sent me a form to switch to jobseekers allowance and to be means tested.

I got it back to them over 5 weeks ago, because i was worried my stamps were running out that week. So she told me i had a few weeks left yet, and once that form was back there would be NO problems switching my payment from jobseekers benefit to assistance, my new rate after means test woul djust be in the post office as usual.

She also said i will have to have a meeting with an inspector and that i would get a letter in the post.

well i got paid today, €34.10, and i went straight to the social welfare office.

I told her i only got paid for one day (34.10 x 6 days= 204.30) and asked what was wrong with my claim? she looked at her pc tapped in my pps and said that my stamps have now run out and that amount 34.10 was all that was left.

The stupid idiot, i could just hear the little britain tag in my head..."duh computa says no"

So i told her, i know my stamps have run out, i have known they would run out for weeks. and proceeded to tell her, thats why i filled out a form to smoothly switch when the time came, and told her i had my meeting in room B with an officer who assured me my payments would not be effected.

So she went off, came back and said have you seen an inspector yet ? Trying to make out somehow it was my fault for not making sure this was done in time! I said no your officer told me you would send me a letter with an appointment to see him weeks ago and you still have not sent that.

She just went on to say well im sorry we cant process the change until he interviews you and he is currently back logged by 6 weeks.

Thats just shocking, the lies i was told and if they had been honest i could have prepared for this.:eek:

There is no payment on screen for me, just that i am awaiting means testing.

She told me that the cwo will pay me, and i asked her if she had met the cwo? she said no why, and i said she is not very obliging and also today is friday and i cant see her until tuesday.

I have no hope that the cwo will pay me, simply because when cwo checks her computer she wont see a payment on system or an amount for me because that cant be done, the means test, until i see this inspector.

That office of the social welfare are a real joke, they are playing with peoples lives, my rent is due today, and it has been late before over them, and i am just so fed up, i wish i could get any job just so i would not have to deal with them anymore.

I just thought writing this might help someone else who has stamps due to run out. At least you may be prepared or even ask how long you will need to wait to see this inspector.

Anyway have to go now and recycle my teabags ;)

cee_jay

fifibibi wrote: »

I have no hope that the cwo will pay me, simply because when cwo checks her computer she wont see a payment on system or an amount for me because that cant be done, the means test, until i see this inspector.

That is why the cwo will more than likely pay you. They will see there is a UA claim pending for you and that you are not getting any other payment. They won't pay you if you are already in payment from social welfare. they will do their own means test.

fifibibi

Oh i hope you are right, my cwo is just like the social welfare office, over run and anyone she can put on the long finger, then she does.

Also i should have said i am not being assessed as a single i am being assessed because i told the socail welfare that i now live with my boyfriend too around the time i got the letter saying my stamps were running out.

So how will anyone know how much money to give me ? as a single im entitled to 204 but what about with my boyfriend who gets more than the 204 ?

Xiney

It depends how much your boyfriend makes.

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/JA_ass_sppart_ern.aspx

fifibibi

well he only gets sw too, 230 euro every week.

Xiney

He may actually get a qualified adult rate increase in his payment (135.60) rather than you getting your own payment.

cee_jay

Both of you won't get 204.30 a week then. The most you will get is 339.90 - so you are probably better of getting him to put you on his claim as a qualified adult - would probably be faster. That's if its just the 2 of you. If he is getting 230 I am guessing he is also getting paid for a qualified child - so the total rate for your family unit is 365.90.

fifibibi

Xiney wrote: »

He may actually get a qualified adult rate increase in his payment (135.60) rather than you getting your own payment.

Thats what i was afraid of, now i have no job, and am trying,, social welfare is not an easy life at all. and my dignity is completely gone i will have to ask my partner for my money each week.

Anybody know of any work in meath that might not be advertised on jobs websites or in the paper or fas.

I try everywhere it seems like there isn't much anywhere.

fifibibi

cAr0l wrote: »

Both of you won't get 204.30 a week then. The most you will get is 339.90 - so you are probably better of getting him to put you on his claim as a qualified adult - would probably be faster. That's if its just the 2 of you. If he is getting 230 I am guessing he is also getting paid for a qualified child - so the total rate for your family unit is 365.90.

Yes thats correct he is getting paid for a qualified child.that rate looks correct, i had a look on the social welfare website. thank you

lolli

fifibibi wrote: »

Hello, I have ben on jobseekers benefit, and since the new April budget i was informed that my stamps would soon run out because in the budget they reduced how long you get paid for stamps. They sent me a form to switch to jobseekers allowance and to be means tested.

My stamps ran out 3 weeks.. 8 weeks before this I was given new forms to fill in, i filled them in submitted all the information required. I thought that was it sorted that it'll all be sorted by the time by stamps run out. I rang them to make sure that everything was ok, they said that my application has been sent to another office for processing and that was all they could tell me. The week my stamps were due to run out, I receive a letter saying that I need to call in to make a new claim. I rang the office to tell them I had already made a claim 8 weeks previous to this, I was told I only had to come in to sign because it was a new claim.

I went into the office and signed, then I was handed the exact same forms that I had submitted 8 weeks previous, I said to the lady that I was already submitted all these forms so why did I have to fill them all in again. She just said to me, You have to fill them in... refused to give me a reason why and when I asked where was the form that I had submitted 8 weeks before she wouldnt give me an answer. I filled in the forms as told, she asked me had I got my information with me and I said to her but I have submitted all my documentation 8 weeks ago!!!! She replied ok, you'll get a list in the post of whats required. I then asked her whats going to happen now and all she kept saying was you may wait until you hear from us! Its so frustrating because I couldn't get a straight answer out of her and I want to know wheres all the forms I already submitted 11 weeks ago now. Seems to me that they lost them and don't want to tell me.

its 3 weeks since I filled in the new forms and i've heard nothing. I rang them but was told I may just wait. I know theres a back log but they really need more staff, I understand that they are under pressure, I used to be in the civil service myself but I always gave people the information they required and I never left them clueless.

calex71

I got no warning at all when i ran out of stamps :mad:

Fortunately , once i filled in the forms i was back on the following week, could be down to me being over 25 and not living at home, not sure.

Was surprised how little fuss i had getting JSA so fast , and nno interview etc.

fifibibi

calex71 wrote: »

I got no warning at all when i ran out of stamps :mad:

Fortunately , once i filled in the forms i was back on the following week, could be down to me being over 25 and not living at home, not sure.

Was surprised how little fuss i had getting JSA so fast , and nno interview etc.

was this recent ?

lolli

i suppose all the different offices have different waiting times

Sephiroth_dude

I was notified that my stamps were running out at the end of january,I ticked the JSA box on the letter they sent me and a week later they sent out a form JSA form.I filled it in sent it off,towards the end of febuary I was called for what I persume was a means test,then at the end of march I got a letter telling me to come into my local office to apply for JSA on the 22nd of april that was also the day my JSB ran I signed a couple of forms and the lady told me they send me out a letter as to when I could collect my first payment and I got that letter on the 19th of may,Im in cork what part of the country are the rest of ye in?

lolli

i'm in wexford

Sephiroth_dude

I guess it'll vary depending on what part of the country your in.

fifibibi

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

I was notified that my stamps were running out at the end of january,I ticked the JSA box on the letter they sent me and a week later they sent out a form JSA form.I filled it in sent it off,towards the end of febuary I was called for what I persume was a means test,then at the end of march I got a letter telling me to come into my local office to apply for JSA on the 22nd of april that was also the day my JSB ran I signed a couple of forms and the lady told me they send me out a letter as to when I could collect my first payment and I got that letter on the 19th of may,Im in cork what part of the country are the rest of ye in?

22nd of april to the 19th of may , thats still a wait of about 4 weeks, i dont know about you but i could not survive a month without money!

You must live at home, do you ?

Still, you filled your forms in time and eventually got paid, i filled out my forms almost 6 weeks ago and i was PROMISED that i would not have my payment broken.

fifibibi

lolli wrote: »

i suppose all the different offices have different waiting times

All the different offices have scivers, and people who misplace forms.:rolleyes:
I know they are understaffed but that's not my problem or anyone elses.
And i know they are doing overtime, but its money and people's lives that are being messed with because of all that.

Have any of you had to go to the cwo recently, they look really really stressed out, mine looks like she wouldn't say no to a few vodkas!

I do feel bad for them but i feel worse for me and people like me :P

They have wages every two weeks that are regular and nobody can just cut them off without a penny...cent

the_dark_side

and we havent hit the real ecconomic hard patch yet... thats later in the year and in 2010, the country is bucked

fifibibi

the_dark_side wrote: »

and we havent hit the real ecconomic hard patch yet... thats later in the year and in 2010, the country is bucked

please dont say that, is it true ?

i was getting through all these weeks by saying to myself, it cant get any worse and once you are down you can only go up....

fifibibi

I saw this email yesterday its very good, a letter to Brian Lenihan about how to fix the economy.


Subject: Letter to Brian Lenihan... solution to the economic crisis?







Dear Mr. Lenihan,

Please find below our suggestion for fixing our economy.
Instead of giving billions of Euro to banks that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.

We call it the 'Patriotic Retirement Plan':


There are about 1/2 million people aged over 50 in the work force.
- Pay them €1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. 1/2 million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new car. 1/2 million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.

4) They MUST send their kids to school / college /university - Crime rate fixed

5) They MUST buy €50 of alcohol / tobacco a week .....and there's your money back in duty / tax etc!

It can't get any easier than that!

Yours sincerely,


The Tax Paying Public.


P.S. If more money is needed, have all politicians pay back their falsely claimed expenses and second home allowances.

Xiney

Too bad that's a 500 trillion euro plan :P

jkmanc1974

lolli wrote: »

My stamps ran out 3 weeks.. 8 weeks before this I was given new forms to fill in, i filled them in submitted all the information required. I thought that was it sorted that it'll all be sorted by the time by stamps run out. I rang them to make sure that everything was ok, they said that my application has been sent to another office for processing and that was all they could tell me. The week my stamps were due to run out, I receive a letter saying that I need to call in to make a new claim. I rang the office to tell them I had already made a claim 8 weeks previous to this, I was told I only had to come in to sign because it was a new claim.

I went into the office and signed, then I was handed the exact same forms that I had submitted 8 weeks previous, I said to the lady that I was already submitted all these forms so why did I have to fill them all in again. She just said to me, You have to fill them in... refused to give me a reason why and when I asked where was the form that I had submitted 8 weeks before she wouldnt give me an answer. I filled in the forms as told, she asked me had I got my information with me and I said to her but I have submitted all my documentation 8 weeks ago!!!! She replied ok, you'll get a list in the post of whats required. I then asked her whats going to happen now and all she kept saying was you may wait until you hear from us! Its so frustrating because I couldn't get a straight answer out of her and I want to know wheres all the forms I already submitted 11 weeks ago now. Seems to me that they lost them and don't want to tell me.

its 3 weeks since I filled in the new forms and i've heard nothing. I rang them but was told I may just wait. I know theres a back log but they really need more staff, I understand that they are under pressure, I used to be in the civil service myself but I always gave people the information they required and I never left them clueless.

Only got advised last week by local office that stamps were about to run out for JB and that had 1 week left(!!), filled in all the forms last Wednesday and have a meeting with an Inspector tomorrow ref the means test, was then told that would have to wait 6/8 weeks for payments to be processed, and to see the CWO in the meantime, looks like a long wait though!!!!

Brgds
Johnny

hideous ape

Classic Cork City dole office moment was an officer claiming to my face that I had phoned the office and stated X, Y and Z. All of which was recorded on my file and then she tried to move the conversation along quickly...

...eh sorry love stall the ball there for a minute!

She shoved new forms at me to fill in...the same forms I had dropped in the week before. Even weirder the old forms were clearly there still in my file cause I could see them in the envelope when she opened it. I pointed at the filled in forms in the envelope and she said they were different forms??? I asked her to show me where this phonecall was recorded and she said it didn't need to be documented because she remembered one of the other officers mentioning it two weeks earlier. After further questioning and her getting visibly angry at me she suddenly remembered talking to me herself when I phoned even though at the start of the conversation she said I rang and spoke to a different officer...it seems it was her all along that took this phantom call. The best Office moment was when she turned around and asked a colleague if he had remembered my phonecall and he just said "Yes" and nodded instantly...even though she didn't need to explain to him who I was, my name, PPS number, nothing. Somehow this guy had the magic power that allows him to tell who phoned just by looking at them:)

I nearly fell over with laughter at this stage...it was comedy gold...but they were been deadly serious. A few people nearby had heard every word and were also laughing..cause it was obvious who was clear, calm and respectful and who was aggressive, lying, and been disrespectful.

It was one of the most surreal moments in my life...this lady eventually convinced herself that she actually took this phonecall... she gave me a date and time and what I had said. The fact that I lived only two streets away from the dole office and didn't even know the number cause I could just walk in on my way to town. I asked to speak to a manager cause I thought she seemed mental and she said she was the manager..she stood up, dropped the shutter and walked away. Weird!

I've also had an extremely racist community welfare officer so thank god I haven't had to deal with these people for the last four or five years:)

lolli

hideous ape wrote: »

Classic Cork City dole office moment was an officer claiming to my face that I had phoned the office and stated X, Y and Z. All of which was recorded on my file and then she tried to move the conversation along quickly...

...eh sorry love stall the ball there for a minute!

She shoved new forms at me to fill in...the same forms I had dropped in the week before. Even weirder the old forms were clearly there still in my file cause I could see them in the envelope when she opened it. I pointed at the filled in forms in the envelope and she said they were different forms??? I asked her to show me where this phonecall was recorded and she said it didn't need to be documented because she remembered one of the other officers mentioning it two weeks earlier. After further questioning and her getting visibly angry at me she suddenly remembered talking to me herself when I phoned even though at the start of the conversation she said I rang and spoke to a different officer...it seems it was her all along that took this phantom call. The best Office moment was when she turned around and asked a colleague if he had remembered my phonecall and he just said "Yes" and nodded instantly...even though she didn't need to explain to him who I was, my name, PPS number, nothing. Somehow this guy had the magic power that allows him to tell who phoned just by looking at them:)

I nearly fell over with laughter at this stage...it was comedy gold...but they were been deadly serious. A few people nearby had heard every word and were also laughing..cause it was obvious who was clear, calm and respectful and who was aggressive, lying, and been disrespectful.

It was one of the most surreal moments in my life...this lady eventually convinced herself that she actually took this phonecall... she gave me a date and time and what I had said. The fact that I lived only two streets away from the dole office and didn't even know the number cause I could just walk in on my way to town. I asked to speak to a manager cause I thought she seemed mental and she said she was the manager..she stood up, dropped the shutter and walked away. Weird!

I've also had an extremely racist community welfare officer so thank god I haven't had to deal with these people for the last four or five years:)

wow thats crazy.

crazzzzy

it all depends who is dealing with your case i reckon. Woz on sw and rent allow for months and the first cwo i met was so horrible. She delayed my claim by weeks cause she wasn't happy I hadn't claimed rent allow from when i first signed on. its mad cause i wasn't looking for back pay or anything. She wanted letter from me explaining why i didn't claim it straight away - i told her i used whatever savings i had to cover the prevoius 6 weeks rent. Then she wouldn't let me write the letter and give it to her that day. next day i went to her with the letter she started asking for more info that id already given to her.

Thank god i ended up moving house and got a new cwo who sorted out my payment straight away. I think if anyone getting rough time from whoever they meet should ask to see someone else.

DFD

about 4 weeks ago theres was no payment for me when i went to collect it,so i rang the dole office to find out what was going on.she told me my stamps had run out.they were understaffed and overworked and couldn't tell me when an inspector would be out to assess my claim for jsa.asked her what would i do in the meantime for money,her answer was....sure cant you get a loan or something.couldn't believe what i was hearing,lucky enough the cwo was pretty decent and sorted me out within 2 days.

susanroth

My JB has ran out today, well I just got one day of payment.. never thought this day would come that I still dont have a job!!!!!:(
I have already sent the form away and called them. They told me that they would contact me about it. What does that mean exactly??
I can't understand these people anyway, I mean how could they possibly think a young person would rather be on the dole than working and actually having a life! What a joke!!:mad::mad:

artyeva

I've been on JSB and thought it was coming to an end, but I didn't get the forms to changeover to JSA until today. I filled them out, and brought them into the office this afternoon and was told that my payment would be in the post office as usual today, and then as usual next week.... and that I could meet with the inspector next tuesday.

fair enough...

except for the fact that when i went to the post office on my way home there was no payment for me - when i rang the social welfare office i got talking to a different wan who told me that actually my JSB had run out last week, [in a rude tone as if to suggest that i should already have known??? how the F**K would i have known????!!!!] and there would be NO payment for me until I spoke to the inspector, or went to the CWO, and wait 6-8 weeks

i said it was a pity that i hadn't been told before this, and maybe i could have prepared for it and squirrelled away a bit extra every week to see me through the next 6-8 weeks, and the reply i got was ''sure how could we have told you if we didn't know ourselves''....???????????? WHAAAATTTT????

so now i'm left with rent to pay, a dentist appontment tomorrow that i'll have to cancel and live with the pain cause i don't have the money to pay for it, and no money for food shopping this week.

those b****es in the social welfare office have no interest in providing an efficient service because they have their un-fire-able-from jobs, their fat paycheques every week and the backing of their unions if it's so much as suggested that they increase their productivity/efficiency and decrease their 3 hour tea breaks and personal phonecalls in office hours.

sorry, rant over.

Sephiroth_dude

artyeva wrote: »

''sure how could we have told you if we didn't know ourselves''....???????????? WHAAAATTTT????

Thats ridiculous,of course they would have known,it would have been on the computer.

poppyfields

Having read this post yesterday I freaked out a bit and went into SW office today. I have seven weeks left but the Officer was very helpful. I have recently got some temping work so do three days a week for the last 8 weeks. He pointed out that if I was to get 5 more weeks of stamps that I would qualify for jobseekers benefit again. So I'm not sure is anyone else here in this situation but might be worth checking out. You need a min of 13 weeks of stamps to qualify again. The only thing is I'm meant to be finishing next week but I might just have to beg them to keep me on one day a week for another month.