Casual workers on JB - payment method

lovingireland

Hi,

I recently got approval to get Jobseeker Benefit as casual worker. I was told by Social Welfare that I would be paid by cheque and would receive the cheque in the post weekly. It is also stated on the SW website:

http://www.welfare.ie/en/pages/jajbfaq.aspx
"Casual workers are paid by cheque."

When I got the official notification recently however, I was surprised to see that I need to collect my payment weekly at the post office.

I don't mind going to the post office weekly, what I do mind is that people seem to be treated differently... Is this because I am not Irish? Is this because I live on the North side?

A few years back I had a similar problem, I was refused payment of my dole into my current account (at the time it was up to the claimant to choose their preferred method of payment). I had a friend at the time who got his dole weekly into his bank account, no problem. The thing is... he lived in Donnybrook, and... I lived in Dublin 7!!!!!!
At the time, I went to the Social Welfare office and questioned this. After spending an hour there, arguing and talking with several managers, they accepted that my dole would be paid into my bank account. At the time I was gob-smacked when they actually admitted at the end of our conversation that "all Social Welfare offices on the North side have instructions to pay everybody at the Post Office". This clearly at the time was not the official Law and I am amazed that they admitted to have those "secret" rules.

I hate injustice and I think it is totally unfair that people are treated differently on these matters.

Would appreciate people's views and advice on this.