Social welfare visit mix-up!

pollyeile

Yesterday I recieved a letter from the CWO saying that my SWA is being suspended as I do not live at the address that I provided. I went to the CWO officer today who informed me that the social welfare inspector had called to my house and a non national said I did not live there.
There are two french girls living in the same house who i barely know and keep amongst themselves. They told me that a lady came last Thursday looking for a girl (ie me). My french housemate did not understand what the lady was saying to her and as my full birth cert name is used for social welfare the girl did not realise it was me the lady was looking for, as she knows me by my abbrevated name. Therefore she told the inspector i didnt live there!
I went into the dole office and explained my case and provided a new letter from my landlord confirming my address. I was told that the inspector had filed her report and was unavailable to speak to me but she would ring me later today...still no call!
I really dont no what to do at this stage as i applied for JSA 2 and half months ago!

Graces7

pollyeile wrote: »

Yesterday I recieved a letter from the CWO saying that my SWA is being suspended as I do not live at the address that I provided. I went to the CWO officer today who informed me that the social welfare inspector had called to my house and a non national said I did not live there.
There are two french girls living in the same house who i barely know and keep amongst themselves. They told me that a lady came last Thursday looking for a girl (ie me). My french housemate did not understand what the lady was saying to her and as my full birth cert name is used for social welfare the girl did not realise it was me the lady was looking for, as she knows me by my abbrevated name. Therefore she told the inspector i didnt live there!
I went into the dole office and explained my case and provided a new letter from my landlord confirming my address. I was told that the inspector had filed her report and was unavailable to speak to me but she would ring me later today...still no call!
I really dont no what to do at this stage as i applied for JSA 2 and half months ago!

Try not to panic; easily said I know.

If she does not ring, can you get to a Citizen's info offiice and get their advice


I had a similar thing a few weeks ago with RA. They suddenly stopped it demanding yet more paperwork. As that had to come in from the UK it would take about three weeks. Total panic of course.. So I emailed the CWO supervisor; found her address online. It was sorted immediately then.

They seem to have no idea of how folk cope on benefits. As if the money was not urgently needed each week.

So now I simply go over their heads. The CWO had said previously she was not getting my emails so ...

pollyeile

She didnt ring so i went in today and the receptionist told me that she closed the claim and she was too busy to speak to me! So i asked for the manager and was told he would ring me. So annoyed at this stage so i said if he didnt I would be back and lodging a formal complaint.
Went to Citizens info and they were no help. So im going to write a letter to the Department and address it personaly to the minsiter and send some to my local TD's.
What makes it more ridicoulous is that im writing this from the address i supposedly dont live at!!!

Graces7

pollyeile wrote: »

She didnt ring so i went in today and the receptionist told me that she closed the claim and she was too busy to speak to me! So i asked for the manager and was told he would ring me. So annoyed at this stage so i said if he didnt I would be back and lodging a formal complaint.
Went to Citizens info and they were no help. So im going to write a letter to the Department and address it personaly to the minsiter and send some to my local TD's.
What makes it more ridicoulous is that im writing this from the address i supposedly dont live at!!!

Words fail; so sorry.

Can you find your area CWO supervisor online? Try the local HSE web site. That is how I found it; google HSE and CWO and your area. Email.

I used that twice in the last while and it worked like a dose of salts. pm if you need to and good luck.

mrsbyrne

Pointless writing to the Minister or TDs. You might get a reply from the Minister in time for Christmas.. Im afraid its up to you to ensure that the CWO can access you at the address you have given. The CWO called to that address and was told you didnt live there. Whats she supposed to do exactly?!? If you had told the CWO when making your claim that your housemates were non-English speaking and that they would not be able to help her, then this misunderstanding could have been averted.
graces7 is right. your only option is to seek out the Superintendent CWO for your area and contact him/her either by phone e-mail or in person. This can be easily sorted out.

Graces7

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Pointless writing to the Minister or TDs. You might get a reply from the Minister in time for Christmas.. Im afraid its up to you to ensure that the CWO can access you at the address you have given. The CWO called to that address and was told you didnt live there. Whats she supposed to do exactly?!? If you had told the CWO when making your claim that your housemates were non-English speaking and that they would not be able to help her, then this misunderstanding could have been averted.
graces7 is right. your only option is to seek out the Superintendent CWO for your area and contact him/her either by phone e-mail or in person. This can be easily sorted out.

I don't agree with this. I had my RA cut off abruptly because they demanded more paperwork from the UK. It had taken them nearly 7 months to process my original application and I had only been getting it a few weeks.

To get it then I had to threaten legal action and/or the press. We should not have to do this.

The way the OP is being treated is scandalous and wrong. If there is a misunderstanding then they must give her the chance to set matters right. Not refuse to see her like this. These allowances are our right; yet we have to resort to these tactics?

NB email is better than a phone call as you have proof of what has been said and also can be calmer and clearer. Citizen's info advised phoning or visiting in person but I said no;and the OPs experience shows why. Id id say in the email to the supervisor that I wanted to make a formal complaint and that moved things fast. HSE have a useful complaints process.

Balagan

pollyeile wrote: »

She didnt ring so i went in today and the receptionist told me that she closed the claim and she was too busy to speak to me! So i asked for the manager and was told he would ring me. So annoyed at this stage so i said if he didnt I would be back and lodging a formal complaint.
Went to Citizens info and they were no help. So im going to write a letter to the Department and address it personaly to the minsiter and send some to my local TD's.
What makes it more ridicoulous is that im writing this from the address i supposedly dont live at!!!

As your Social Welfare claim has been closed following the inspector being told you didn't live at the address you need to work on SW first to get your claim reopened and free the CWO to continue with SWA payments to you till your claim is processed. I'd suggest writing to the Social Welfare JSA claims supervisor explaining the whole thing, including, if possible, brief letters from the French girls explaining the mistake that happened and put it together with your new letter from your landlord and drop it into the SW office making sure to get the name of the person who receives it from you. Mark it 'Urgent'. Be sure to ask that your claim be reinstated, not commenced from now, so that you will get back payments. Make copies of the whole correspondence and drop into the CWO. Your best bet is to keep your cool when you go to both offices, hard as that can be. Remember too that if it takes a while to sort, you should go to the St Vincent de Paul who will help you keep body and soul together till its sorted.

eastbono

Balagan wrote: »

As your Social Welfare claim has been closed following the inspector being told you didn't live at the address you need to work on SW first to get your claim reopened and free the CWO to continue with SWA payments to you till your claim is processed. I'd suggest writing to the Social Welfare JSA claims supervisor explaining the whole thing, including, if possible, brief letters from the French girls explaining the mistake that happened and put it together with your new letter from your landlord and drop it into the SW office making sure to get the name of the person who receives it from you. Mark it 'Urgent'. Be sure to ask that your claim be reinstated, not commenced from now, so that you will get back payments. Make copies of the whole correspondence and drop into the CWO. Your best bet is to keep your cool when you go to both offices, hard as that can be. Remember too that if it takes a while to sort, you should go to the St Vincent de Paul who will help you keep body and soul together till its sorted.

Instead of writing OP should go to sw office and have her claim re-opened from the date of previous claim. She should hand in the documentation as you suggested and have another copy and address it to the SW Inspector who called out to her address. In fairness it is not the fault of SW or CWO that claim was closed, it was her housemates who said that they did not know anyone of that name. And I agree with going down the route of SV de P.

Graces7

eastbono wrote: »

Instead of writing OP should go to sw office and have her claim re-opened from the date of previous claim. She should hand in the documentation as you suggested and have another copy and address it to the SW Inspector who called out to her address. In fairness it is not the fault of SW or CWO that claim was closed, it was her housemates who said that they did not know anyone of that name. And I agree with going down the route of SV de P.

It is the fault of the CWO etc the way she has been treated since; please read her posts. She has been there, done that and been turned away, refused etc.

Been there done that; also they withheld a large sum of back money re RA and it was only because someone advised me that I challenged them and had it paid.

The only thing that availed was the threat of legal action. And the email to the supervisor

These people do not care; period. What a dehumanizing and degrading system. To force someone to go cap in hand to V de Paul because of their error. This is going back to the dark ages of post-famine Ireland and the workhouse system.

Thank goodness at least it is summer; I was left with almost nothing for fuel last winter

cee_jay

Graces7 you have had your experiences with the CWO, and I appreciate it has been a difficult one. The OPs current situation is completely different to yours - please stop dragging this thread off topic with your experience.
In this case however, the Social Welfare Inspector was told the OP did not live at the address. The onus of proof is now on the OP to provide the relevant documentation re: their current address to Social Welfare office before the CWO can pay them again.
As for the way she has been treated since, she has barely mentioned this, bar stating she is still waiting on a phone call.