What is the 'signing on' process?

bytheglass

I have been working a 3-day week & claiming for 2 days until recently when I was made redundant. I then went straight to the SW Office & told them my situation. The girl handed me temporary card which said my 'sign on' date was 30th Nov 10am in my local Post Office. I received my plastic card in the post this morning & went to the PO & got my cash. I also received a greenish slip of paper in the post this morning where I ticked the box to say I was not working for the last week & I dropped that into the box outside the SW office.
My question is, what happens next??
When do I go to the Post Office again? Is it a weekly thing?
Do I need to go to the Social Welfare Office again? Will that be a regular thing?
Forgive my naiveness but the staff are not very forthcoming with information & act like I should know everything!

eastbono

bytheglass wrote: »

I have been working a 3-day week & claiming for 2 days until recently when I was made redundant. I then went straight to the SW Office & told them my situation. The girl handed me temporary card which said my 'sign on' date was 30th Nov 10am in my local Post Office. I received my plastic card in the post this morning & went to the PO & got my cash. I also received a greenish slip of paper in the post this morning where I ticked the box to say I was not working for the last week & I dropped that into the box outside the SW office.
My question is, what happens next??
When do I go to the Post Office again? Is it a weekly thing?
Do I need to go to the Social Welfare Office again? Will that be a regular thing?
Forgive my naiveness but the staff are not very forthcoming with information & act like I should know everything!

Your money will be in the post office every week.
You say that you got a temporary card which said your "sign on" date was 30th Nov 10am.... this sounds to me that you should have signed on at your sw office this morning. Contact your sw office and find out when your next signing day is because if you miss it your claim will be payment suspended and money will not transfer to the post office.

bytheglass

Thanks eastbono, I will go down there first thing tomorrow.
The thing is, I double checked with the lady & got her to repeat to me that I had to go to the POST OFFICE! She never said anything about coming back into the SW Office. I HATE the whole system, it screams inefficiency!

cee_jay

Are you living some distance (i.e. over 15 miles or so) from your Social Welfare office?
The green slip sounds like a postal docket - you sign and return one of these for 2 months out of three, and the third month you get a blue docket in post. This one means you have to attend the office to sign.

bytheglass

I phoned before lunch & the lady said to come in straight away as I 'should' have signed on yesterday.
So I went in, explained I was never told the procedure & the lady handed me a printout to sign which stated I was aware I missed my sign in day & if it ever happens again my payments will be stopped.
I asked her to clarify everything (it was like pulling teeth!) she said I need to 'sign-on' once a month in the SW Office & I continue to go to the PO once a week for my payments.
... and WHY could'nt they have told me that ages ago?!
I asked what the green slip was for, & she said I should'nt have received it & I probably wont get anymore! (I live approx 3 miles away)
Oh well, at least I'm a little wiser to the system. Thanks for the help folks.