Rent allowance; bad experience with Community Welfare Officer.

Graces7

Not sure if ths is the correct place for this.

Have just today had a mouthful of abuse and nastiness from a Community Welfare Officer on his house visit.

Are they all so bad-mannered and aggressive? This is the second time.

We realise they must see some diifficult people; but no one deserves to be treated like this when claiming help.

NB the claim was never in doubt by the way. Which makes it all the more upsetting .

douglashyde

what exactally was said?

Graces7

Not anything I precisely want to repeat here:mad:

I am a disabled pensioner and had to move suddenly because of floods.

Had Rent Allowance previously; and this man had then been extremely rude.

This time the paperwork had sat in his desk 5 weeks; I had no phone for the first three weeks. he knew I had moved and the address etc as he sent the forms here way back.

I wrote again and then phoned him.

I have a bad flu and am in bed; y'day he rang and said he was visiting NOW. I said how ill I was and he said tomorrow at noon; I said I would make sure I was up.

Waited hours, then went back to bed. I had only got out of bed as he was due; I am alone here.

He finally arrived 2/1/2 hours late; called my from the gate and I had to get up and dressed etc.

When I opened the gate, I remarked he had been expected earlier, and that is when he let rip. Really abusive.

I was by then coughing so much I was vomiting.

And he just stood there then and threatened to leave so I would have to make another appointment etc.. I had to find the deposit and rent for here and have nothing left for fuel etc. Desperately need this money. Could not let him just leave like that.

I called someone and they talked to him and finally he left the forms etc. I could hardly speak for coughing.

As I say, we know that their job must be hard, but.... I am still very upset.

They make it so degrading.

douglashyde wrote: »

what exactally was said?

DonJose

I would report this guy.

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/ContactUs/Pages/commentorcomplaint.aspx

If no action is taken then take it a step further

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Topics/Pages/ombudsman.aspx

Graces7

Thank you ... I just did not know if this is the kind of thing that we must expect.

The person who spoke to him on the phone says they will write to him.

Too upset to do more just now. Was not expecting that kind of thing at all.

If I were in someone's house and they were ill I would not act like that.

Thank you so much.

DonJose wrote: »

I would report this guy.

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/ContactUs/Pages/commentorcomplaint.aspx

If no action is taken then take it a step further

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Topics/Pages/ombudsman.aspx

djk1000

Community Welfare Officers are under a huge amount of pressure at the moment, never been so busy, lots of people being abusive, lots of scroungers and con artists trying to get one over on them everyday. An honest citizen that genuinely needs help can be unfairly tarred with the same brush.

All that said, there is no excuse for that kind of behaviour, I get the impression that this guy has been worn down and just decided to take it out on someone that he thought would take it, make a complaint, this guy is a bully.

Graces7

This says it all; thank you.

He has managed to take the whole process back to square one; so more forms are being sorted, and I need the allowance in the bank. My credit card will not take much more! Or rather give much more.

So the advice for now is to wait; he will get a letter from my adviser anyways.

He had promised it would be sorted by Christmas, but I cannot see that happening now. Rent is paid until Jan 8th; after that I will be in deep trouble.

Interesting spin off; I have often done Welfare Rights advocacy work for others. I did not until yesterday realise how vital this is; it is easy to be that third party and hard to be the person being attacked. A third party is not as emotionally involved.

Wondering too what kind of support these guys get.

I said nothing to provoke that; a kind of kick the cat response?

Again, thank you.

djk1000 wrote: »

Community Welfare Officers are under a huge amount of pressure at the moment, never been so busy, lots of people being abusive, lots of scroungers and con artists trying to get one over on them everyday. An honest citizen that genuinely needs help can be unfairly tarred with the same brush.

All that said, there is no excuse for that kind of behaviour, I get the impression that this guy has been worn down and just decided to take it out on someone that he thought would take it, make a complaint, this guy is a bully.

Graces7

Thankfully my Rent Allowance has come through; from the timing he had done all the paperwork before he came here.

And some of the back money also came.

I had sent him a little thank you card anyways..

Irony is that I am snowed/iced in up here now so cannot use the money just now,,

HAPPY CHRISTMAS