Question re Household Benefits Package application

Fogmatic

I have the form filled in & ready to send off, except I need to clarify the instruction "Send this completed application form with copies of relevant bills".
Can anyone tell me what these relevant bills are?
This application's for electricity, TV licence & mobile phone allowances.
I've been trying the help number on the form (1890 500 000) for several days now, and it's constantly engaged. It''s the only number for questions about the H.B.P., according to my local office (who don't have the info to help). I've trawled online to no avail (including the Department of Social Protection website).

mrsbyrne

The relevant bills are your most recent electricity bill, telephone bill (unless your getting the mobile phone allowance), and your tv licence, if you have one.

Fogmatic

Thanks MrsByrne! Given the big backlog, I didn't relish the idea of getting it wrong & going to the back of the queue again.
I'd been thinking that entering the ESB, TV licence etc reference numbers on the form should be enough, but maybe the system's not as joined up as I'd hoped.
Badly designed forms!!!! (The bane of my life).

danjo-xx

Whats the waiting time for this!

Fogmatic

Mine took just under 3 weeks (from posting the form off, to the date on the approval letter).
Electricity allowance is deducted from the 'next or subsequent' bill, & (mobile) phone allowance credited to the bank/other account on the 1st Tuesday each month (I don't know how long a landline allowance takes to kick in).
There were some arrears re my electric & phone allowances, and a cheque for them arrived not long after.

Just in case you didn't know (it's not that obvious), once you have a free travel pass, you can get a seperate Senior Smartcard as well, for free travel within Northern Ireland (I couldn't find a form online, and it seems to require a visit to the relevant branch of the Dept. of Social Protection, which may be a bit of a trek depending where you are).

sewhappy45

Hi Fogmatic, just reading your post and i notice you're in donegal. I'm in Buncrana in north Donegal and was wondering where did you apply for the smartcard??

Fogmatic

Sligo I'm afraid, sewhappy (College Rd). It seems to be the only office dealing with it, according to the website
http://www.welfare.ie/EN/ContactUs/Pages/contactbypersona.aspx#retired
You'd be in luck if you were a Homemaker (that's the Buncrana office)!
I presume you've been to the Sligo place already, but just say if you'd like directions (it took me a while to pinpoint it).
I can't remember what they need to see (passed on my notes to a friend with no computer!). But maybe your Republic travel pass. After filling in your form in Sligo, they send it to the North, and eventually your Senior Smartpass is posted to you.

mrsbyrne

Fogmatic wrote: »

Sligo I'm afraid, sewhappy (College Rd). It seems to be the only office dealing with it, according to the website
http://www.welfare.ie/EN/ContactUs/Pages/contactbypersona.aspx#retired
You'd be in luck if you were a Homemaker (that's the Buncrana office)!
I presume you've been to the Sligo place already, but just say if you'd like directions (it took me a while to pinpoint it).
I can't remember what they need to see (passed on my notes to a friend with no computer!). But maybe your Republic travel pass. After filling in your form in Sligo, they send it to the North, and eventually your Senior Smartpass is posted to you.

You can only get the Smartpass if you are a pensioner. You will get a Smartpass application form at your local CIC.

Fogmatic

Thanks for adding that mrsbyrne - I didn't realise some other groups are eligible for the Household Benefits Package, as well as pensioners.

Hopefully, the term 'Senior Smartpass' will be enough of a hint to save me from misleading anyone!

What's a CIC - is it Citizens Advice?

MS.ing

danjo-xx wrote: »

Whats the waiting time for this!

same question but
any updates on the time it takes, from applying for it to start getting the household benefits package?

is it still 3 weeks/a month or so?

browneyedrosha

hi
hope you dont mind me jumping in on ur query, but i am wondering if someone can advise me. I have just been sucessful in getting a carers allowance & wonder what the situ with the household benefits package. i looked into it last yr when i applied for carers, but was told that i had to be in receipt of allowance in order to apply, however im told that since last budget, carers allowance receipients are no longer eligable.
Does anyone have similar experience?
Advice gr8ly appreciated.

eastbono

browneyedrosha wrote: »

hi
hope you dont mind me jumping in on ur query, but i am wondering if someone can advise me. I have just been sucessful in getting a carers allowance & wonder what the situ with the household benefits package. i looked into it last yr when i applied for carers, but was told that i had to be in receipt of allowance in order to apply, however im told that since last budget, carers allowance receipients are no longer eligable.
Does anyone have similar experience?
Advice gr8ly appreciated.

I dont know how up to date the following is but this is from sw site
http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW107/Documents/sw107.pdf

Have a read through it but it appears carers allowance is still a qualifying factor.

browneyedrosha

eastbono wrote: »

I dont know how up to date the following is but this is from sw site
http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW107/Documents/sw107.pdf

Have a read through it but it appears carers allowance is still a qualifying factor.

Hi eastbone! thanks a mill for your help. i'm going to apply and see how i get on. I just might be able to get it for last yr. but apparently new applicants for 2012 carer allowance receipiants are excluded. I'll post more info as i get it.