FAS Course back to JSB problems

Mervin J Minky

I am long term unemployed (building trade) and was recently on a three month FAS course which finish last Friday.

I got a letter from FAS that I bring down to social welfare last Friday telling them that the course is finish and that they are stopping my payments. I was given an appointment and told that my SW claim was suspended and to come back one week later by SW and to open my claim again.

Today, I bring down all the relived forms, passport, proof of looking for work etc and my claim was reopened. I was then told that my claim could take several weeks to process and that I might not get my money by Christmas as the office is closed in two weeks for the holidays.

When I asked what was I going to do for money I was then recommended to call to make an appoint with the Community Welfare Officer but because he is only available for 2 hours a couple of days per week he is booked out until Christmas. I was then recommended to call St Vincent De Paul!!!

I am totally shocked by this, why was my claim totally closed when I went on a FAS course? Did they think I would walk into a job straight after it finished?

Balagan

If you had been receiving a social welfare payment before hand, it should resume. I wonder if you had been receiving Jobseekers Benefit and that Benefit time expired and are they now means testing you in order to see what Jobseekers Allowance you qualify for? You should go to the local health office and be firm that you need an appointment with the Community Welfare officer asap. If necessary, go to the Citizens Information office and perhaps they would make a call for you to the CWO.

Mervin J Minky

I have been receiving benefit before the course started and needed to submit form from FAS to Social Welfare letting them know that FAS were taking over the payments. I'm not sure if I was means tested as one of the forms that I had to fill out and bring back this morning was a reclaim form and the interview was very short as they already had all of my details on file.

The thing is that I didn't actively leave the system, I only went to FAS, it's not like I work abroad for a year and now suddenly want to sign back on. If that was the case then I would fully expect several weeks wait for my claim to be processed, but why do I have to wait now, 3 weeks before Christmas, when all they need to do is switch my payments over with a few clicks of mouse button.

I now have to resort to running around trying to make appoints that are already overbooked and begging from charities. It is such a stupid system!

Balagan

Maybe others here have some idea who this might have happened. It is not the common practice. Would you go back to the SW office and ask to see someone in charge and get a reason why this has happened. If they made everyone wait 3 weeks without payment when they finish a Fas course, nobody will do a Fas course again.

Mervin J Minky

I agree with you, if I knew that my payments could be put on hold for a couple of weeks after the course then I probably wouldn't have gone on the FAS course in the first place.

I am going to go down on Monday and see if I can get an explanation or at least get things moving along quicker. Plus there is also the question of back dating all of the money that I am own as the SW took over €60 off my last benefit claim before I started the course as the SW payments are from Wednesday to Wednesday and I started FAS on a Monday.

FAS also pay out in a 'back-week' system so I had to wait 16 days for my first payment at the start of the course which is ridiculous also, but that is another story altogether.

eastbono

Mervin J Minky wrote: »

I agree with you, if I knew that my payments could be put on hold for a couple of weeks after the course then I probably wouldn't have gone on the FAS course in the first place.

I am going to go down on Monday and see if I can get an explanation or at least get things moving along quicker. Plus there is also the question of back dating all of the money that I am own as the SW took over €60 off my last benefit claim before I started the course as the SW payments are from Wednesday to Wednesday and I started FAS on a Monday.

FAS also pay out in a 'back-week' system so I had to wait 16 days for my first payment at the start of the course which is ridiculous also, but that is another story altogether.

From my experience people who go from jobseekers to fas course and back their claims are usually fast tracked, What sw office are you dealing with

Mervin J Minky

eastbono wrote: »

From my experience people who go from jobseekers to fas course and back their claims are usually fast tracked, What sw office are you dealing with

I am in Dun Laoghaire SW office. Yes I was told that I was being fast-tracked but also that I'd have to wait a few weeks until my claim gets processed. I was actually talking to another guy who did the same course as me and he told me that the SW processed his claim there and then and his money would be in the Post Office the following Tuesday.

eastbono

I dont understand why they couldnt have awarded it there and then either.

Mervin J Minky

Maybe they are trying to make it hard for me because I'm long term unemployed and not originally from Ireland? One thing is for sure, if I don't get a letter from them in the next two weeks then I'm in big trouble financially and will seriously struggle to put food on the table and heat my flat. I won't be doing any FAS courses again anyway!

eastbono

Mervin J Minky wrote: »

Maybe they are trying to make it hard for me because I'm long term unemployed and not originally from Ireland? One thing is for sure, if I don't get a letter from them in the next two weeks then I'm in big trouble financially and will seriously struggle to put food on the table and heat my flat. I won't be doing any FAS courses again anyway!

You could go to your community welfare office and apply for supplementary welfare allowance while your jobseekers is being processed.

danjo-xx

When I asked what was I going to do for money I was then recommended to call to make an appoint with the Community Welfare Officer but because he is only available for 2 hours a couple of days per week he is booked out until Christmas. I was then recommended to call St Vincent De Paul!!!

I don't understand that because it's a walk in situation where you take a ticket and wait to be called and even after doors have closed all inside are attended to.

Mervin J Minky

I was told by the person who processed my claim in SW that meeting the Community Welfare Officer in Dún Laoghaire was via appointment only and when I called them they said that because he is only available from 10am to 11am a couple of days per week there are currently no available places left until Christmas.

I'm just not sure why everything seems to be overly complicated for me yet very quick and efficient for other people in the same situation as myself?

Kotek Besar

danjo-xx wrote: »

I don't understand that because it's a walk in situation where you take a ticket and wait to be called and even after doors have closed all inside are attended to.

Not everywhere is a walk-in / ticket service. Waterford is, for example. Clondalkin isn't - it's appointment only.

Mervin J Minky

Okay after ringing around I was told that there is a Community Welfare Officer in Sallynoggin on Monday & Thursday from 10am until 11am and even though I am outside his jurisdiction he agreed to see me this morning because of the extended waiting list in Dún Laoghaire.

After waiting in line for an hour and a half he told me that he couldn't do anything for me. I explained the situation and he typed my PPS number into the database and told me that my application was pending and all I could do was wait. I then asked him what I was suppose to do for money and he told me that if I still hadn't received anything from SW by next week I was to come back to him.........but it would take another week to process a supplementary welfare payment and I'd need to go back to SW to get the letter from FAS to give to him.

Are these people for real??? My course finished nearly 2 weeks ago and I don't have a cent to my name. I'm going to have to go to the St Vincent DePaul and beg for a hand out because I'm that desperate.

bodhrandude

That is ridiculous, Im sorry to hear this OP. When I was on the joint CE / FAS course Access Music Project in Galway I only had to wait 5 days after the completion of my course before my claim kicked in. Usually there shouldnt be a problem like this coming from a FAS course onto the dole again, methinks you should get the Citizen Advice Bureau onto your case as this seems unjust.

Mervin J Minky

I went down to Citizens Advice and they told me that there was nothing they could do since the SW are currently processing my claim. They told me to go back to see the Community Welfare Officer.

If I don't get a letter from SW by Tuesday that will be 3 dole weeks in a row that I haven't been able to claim a single cent. That is a totally unacceptable and totally ridiculous that I have to resort to begging off friends and charities.

The St Vincent De Paul are calling around to me next week which I find quite embarrassing but I'm extremely grateful for their help if they provide it.

In the mean time my direct debits that I have in the bank to pay bills failed to go through because I have insufficient funds and now I've incurred a load of penalties. Great, more debt!

eastbono

Mervin J Minky wrote: »

I went down to Citizens Advice and they told me that there was nothing they could do since the SW are currently processing my claim. They told me to go back to see the Community Welfare Officer.

If I don't get a letter from SW by Tuesday that will be 3 dole weeks in a row that I haven't been able to claim a single cent. That is a totally unacceptable and totally ridiculous that I have to resort to begging off friends and charities.

The St Vincent De Paul are calling around to me next week which I find quite embarrassing but I'm extremely grateful for their help if they provide it.

In the mean time my direct debits that I have in the bank to pay bills failed to go through because I have insufficient funds and now I've incurred a load of penalties. Great, more debt!

I am truly sorry for your situation. I still cant understand why your claim was not fast tracked... 3 weeks is not fast tracking.(I do know that Dun Laoghaire is a fairly busy office so that is part of the problem). Normally the community welfare officer will pay out when there is a claim pending (again in your case I cannot understand their stance). I know it is embarassing for you having SVDP calling but at this stage it is the only option open to you.

Let us know how things go for you.

Mervin J Minky

I'm very surprised that the Community Welfare Officer could not help me either. He basically told me that my claim had already been approved by SW and that my account status was already at the processing stage, so in the time he could organise a supplementary welfare payment my claim could have already come through.

So he, like everyone else, is going on the assumption that my payment will be processed 'any day now' while I'm left running around desperately looking for assistance and waiting for the postman to arrive.

I have no idea why this is happening to me

Balagan

The CWOs are actually employed by the SW (Dept of Social Protection) now and surely he could have given you an exceptional needs/emergency payment to keep you going till your payment came through. It would automatically be deducted from your backpay. Hopefully you will be sorted next week. Hope you have enough for food, heat etc. MABS http://www.mabs.ie/may be able to help you avoid the penalties at the bank in respect of direct debits that couldn't be met.

eastbono

Mervin J Minky wrote: »

I'm very surprised that the Community Welfare Officer could not help me either. He basically told me that my claim had already been approved by SW and that my account status was already at the processing stage, so in the time he could organise a supplementary welfare payment my claim could have already come through.

So he, like everyone else, is going on the assumption that my payment will be processed 'any day now' while I'm left running around desperately looking for assistance and waiting for the postman to arrive.

I have no idea why this is happening to me

He couldnt see that your claim had been approved... there is no such thing as approved... either you claim is pending or has been awarded and if it was awarded you would have got a letter in the post telling you when your payment would be in the post office and your next signing on date. That is total bull on his behalf.... There is no way that he could see that your account status was at the processing stage. There is no such stage as processing stage on the screen that he was looking at.

My blood is boiling here with the fobbing off you got with the community welfare officer.

Mervin J Minky

Thank you for your support and advice.

I personally think that the CWO was lying. He gave me a form to fill out and told me that if my payment hadn't come through by next week I was to go back to him on the 15th. I have to bring photo ID, 3 months of bank statements and a letter from FAS (which SW have). He also told me that it takes a week for the supplementary payment to get processed so I wouldn't get it until the 22nd anyway, that's 3 days before Christmas. That is totally insane. How are they expect a person to survive for one month with no money???

I'm going back down to SW on Monday and demand to speak to somebody in charge as I'm at my wits end here. I have my last SW receipt before I went on the FAS course and my last FAS payment receipt and I'm going to produce them and plead my case again in hope that they put my payment through there and then. Okay they might be busy but they have had more then enough time to sort my situation out.

My friend dropped by earlier with bread, milk and pot noodles and gave me €20 in cash so thankful I have people around me that are looking out for me so it's not all bad. This is the one time that I'm grateful that I don't have mouths to feed other then my own. It's a nightmare situation to be in.

bodhrandude

How did it go Mervin did you get sorted in the end.

Mervin J Minky

Hi! No still not sorted

I went down to the SW on Monday and they told me that my application was still pending and that I will just have to wait for a letter from them letting me know when my money will be available to collect in the Post Office. I told them that I am waiting 3 weeks but they didn't seem to care and told me to go to the CWO even though I explained that I'd already been.

The only choice that I have now is to go back to the CWO tomorrow morning and see if he can help me. I have all of the forms filled out etc so it shouldn't be a problem but he did mention that it does take a week to process a supplementary payment which is not ideal.

It's a double week benefit payment next week as far as I know and I just calculated how much I'll be entitled to as of next week and it's bang on €1,000 (€188 x 5 = €940 + €60 that I was docked from SW when I started the FAS course).

The system is a total joke! :mad:

Mervin J Minky

Another quick update.

Okay I went to the CWO yesterday morning and gave him the forms and the other details that he requested. He typed in my PPS number then paused for about 2 minutes. He then told me that because of the double week next week he doesn't know if putting a supplementary payment through for next week will effect my SW payment if it comes through next week......what ever that means He told me to go back down to social welfare and ask to speak to somebody in a senior position and if I still don't find a resolution then I've to go down go him on Monday and he will put a supplementary payment through for Wednesday the 21st. Confused? Welcome to my world :rolleyes:

So I go down to social welfare this morning and ask to speak to somebody senior. They said that without an appoint that wouldn't be possible so they gave me a ticket to wait at the enquires hatch. When I'm finally called they tell me that my file, case or what ever they call it has been sent to the office in the City Centre to be processed. I told them that I am waiting 3 weeks for my claim and that since next week is a double week if I don't get anything then then I'll have to wait until the new year. They told me that my claim should be processed by next week and I won't be left stuck. I tried to get more answers from them but they weren't entertaining.

So........I am now still left in limbo and now feel that the CWO and the staff at my local SW office are totally incompetent. I'm in the process of ringing the SW office in the City Centre but cannot get through at the moment. I really wish this nightmare situation would be over so I can at least finally get back to scraping by and at least try to enjoy Christmas

Balagan

The CWOs are now actually employed by the Dept of Social Protection and so he should have been able to get an immediate answer to any query he had about whether a Supplementary Payment would 'effect your SW payment if it came through next week'. OP, you are one strong person to be surviving this mess.

Mervin J Minky

My local CWO is a clown, I've never met anyone so unsure of what they were suppose to be doing in their lives. He has constantly claimed that the SW office in Dún Laoghaire has nothing to do with him which I find far fetched to put it mildly. My patience with all of this messing around is wearing very, very thin and I am starting to get extremely angry with the whole situation. I am sick to death of running around from office to office and getting know where :mad:

Plus nobody will answer one simple question for me: "Why am I the only person off my Fás course not to get my claim processed & reopened with immediate effect?" Everyone else got their claims fast-tracked through the system and had their money in the Post Office a week later. Why I am sitting here 3 weeks later, 1 week away from Christmas, still wondering what the hell is going on???

I'm f**king sick of it!!!!!!!!

Balagan

I would tell you to phone the following, seeing as the CWO is now also under the DeDepartment of Social Protection
Information Services
College Road
Sligo
Ireland
Locall:1890 66 22 44
Homepage: http://www.welfare.ie/ pt of Social Protection

but it seems awful to be just recommending that you make one more phone call. Whatever reason the SW has delayed your switching from Fas back to Jobseeker Allowance payment, the person who has really dropped the ball is the CWO in your own area - the office that told you he is booked out till after Christmas and that you should go to the St Vincent de Paul. The CWO is the one who is there to keep people from falling through the cracks and that office is simply not doing its work. As the other CWO from the adjoining area met with you he should have immediately authorised payment to tide you over.

Other than giving you the above number, I don't know what to do. You should try to contact your local TD and get him/her to make calls for you. It's not supposed to be what TDs are for, but it's far more important than what a lot of them are doing anyway.

Mervin J Minky

Thank you for your advice Balagan.

I'll give that number a call but I'm half expecting the be fobbed off again like I have been for the last three weeks, but it's better then sitting here and being angry.

I'm also see if I can get in contact with a local TD, I have absolutely no faith in politicians but if one of them could help me then I'd be very grateful.

To be honest I was actually glad that the CWO in Sallynoggin actually agreed to see me since the one in my own local area didn't seemed to give a damn. This whole experience has left a very bitter taste in my mouth. What if I had a young child or I was looking after a sick relitive, I mean how can they expect anyone to survive in this country for 1 month with absolutely no money? The more I think about it the more disgusted I feel.

Anyway, sorry for ranting and thanks again for your help.

Mervin J Minky

Just a quick update. I got three weeks payment on the 22nd December via the CWO and then got a letter from the SW on January the 3rd (dated December 29th) stating that my claim was now processed and I was to collect my money every Tuesday like usual.

The only trouble is that I'm owned two weeks arrears from the end of November and start of December and even though it stated in the letter that I would be sent a cheque in the post, I have yet to receive anything nearly two weeks on and have a horrible feeling that they have either forgot about it or that the CWO & SW have got their wires crossed in regards to my payment and think I'm owned nothing else.

Does anyone know how long these cheques take to arrive?