Home Visit by Social Welfare

rebel fighter

I was sent to my local community welfare officer last year while I wait for my Job Seekers Allowance since I was self employed and the business had to wind down. When I visited the welfare officer I was confronted with hostility. She had printed photo's of me from the internet which I found very intrusive and joked at why I had given up my business. My small business like so many out there have been brought down to our knees with little or no choice but to close down due to the economic crash. I was amazed and disgusted at the way this community welfare officer was talking to me. She said I'd be entitled to nothing and sneered when I replied that I should be entitled to weekly money until I can find employment. I told her I would appeal any decision and she sneered again. I gave her all of my bank statements and closure of accounts from my accountant. I got approved rent allowance and weekly allowance of 188euro by her boss. I then received a letter with 4 weeks notice before christmas stating my supplementary welfare allowance and rent allowance would be cut off as they could not keep paying me while I'm waiting a decision on my appeal. I was devasted and frightened. I moved into my friends house after Christmas and after some phone calls to the welfare officers boss, he decided to keep my payment going. A few weeks ago I had this abnoxious women the community welfare officer call to my address before 9a.m for a home inspection. She demanded I show her proof of work efforts and came into the house where she saw my bedroom and demanded to see my cloths. I cooperated and showed her but since my first experiance with her at the office wasn't a nice one I decided to get out the video camera and record her visit. She knew she had to be very careful what she said to me while the camera was rolling. She said it was an invasion of her privacy that I filmed her visit but hang on it was her who arrive unannounced coming into my home conducting a visit before 9a.m (very cheaky) and I felt this was very invasive and rude. Is this how people are being treated in Ireland. The appeals office has since sent my files back to both social and community welfare and I'm still in Limbo waiting for Job Seekers Allowance. Is this the thanks the self employed get for their hard work and paying tax and when things don't work out for them this is the sort of way they are treated. I haven't heard anything back from the community welfare officer since, she hated the fact I recorded her visit on video camera but I felt I had to considering our first encounter and her unusually early visit.

edellc

Please dont think you are being given special treatment since you where self employed those of us who where employees get the same treatment

however she does seem a bit ott, i mean printing pics from internet and looking at your clothes, do you think she might fancy you...scary I know

on a more serious note she is bang out of order and I would seriously report her especially regarding the pics and home visit, they usually tell you in the meeting that they will visit you on a certain date but you really have to be there for the whole day as they can turn up any time.

as for your payments, you are only entitled to it if you have paid the correct amounts of prsi payments as per their guidelines self employed or not it makes no difference

see the links below they may be helpful to you

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/unemployed_people/self_employed_and_unemployment.html

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW104/Pages/CommentsorComplaints.aspx

rebel fighter

I don't think she fancies me. I think this person is a controlling bully who enjoys kicking people when they are down on their luck and lost everything including all hope in this country. Community Welfare and caring for people my foot. Its people like her who gives the department a bad name. I'll bring my dictation device to any meeting with these people in the future and my finger on the dial to a solicitor. The shame people have to go through just to get what they are entitled to is nothing short of human rights abuse.

edellc

I agree with you completely but it is the institution of the civil service and its not going to change no matter how many complaints or who is in government

I have given up at this stage giving out about them not that I have had much dealings but whenever I have its been a battle except for one in terenure who was a lovely man but only there for the day as a stand in really wish I had gotten his name as the nice ones are few....

Dont give up hope on them OP play the game and you will come out a winner, try not argue as thats what she wants so she can say NO, from past experience dealing with ppl like her its best to smile and be polite and dont rise to her attitude carry yourself with dignity even if she cant

rebel fighter

edellc wrote: »

I agree with you completely but it is the institution of the civil service and its not going to change no matter how many complaints or who is in government

I have given up at this stage giving out about them not that I have had much dealings but whenever I have its been a battle except for one in terenure who was a lovely man but only there for the day as a stand in really wish I had gotten his name as the nice ones are few....

Dont give up hope on them OP play the game and you will come out a winner, try not argue as thats what she wants so she can say NO, from past experience dealing with ppl like her its best to smile and be polite and dont rise to her attitude carry yourself with dignity even if she cant

Good advice Edellc and you are right. There are some really nice people working in the civil service most of whom are very helpful. The baddies should be weeded out somehow. Thanks again

cee_jay

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mgbgt1978

edellc wrote: »

as for your payments, you are only entitled to it if you have paid the correct amounts of prsi payments as per their guidelines self employed or not it makes no difference

The Op has stated that they are applying for Job seekers Allowance (as opposed to Job Seekers Benefit).
JSA is simply based on personal circumstances and is not connected in any way to PRSI contributions.

michellie

Are they allowed to demand to look at your clothes ? What in the name of god do they gain from that ?

rebel fighter

michellie wrote: »

Are they allowed to demand to look at your clothes ? What in the name of god do they gain from that ?

The reason they do these visit's is to see if you are actually living at the address you have given them. I'm not getting rent allowance and am getting the weekly basic rate. She probably wanted to make sure I was living there hence why she asked to see my cloths. Its like they don't beleive people and have to check up on everything. I had nothing to hide so I opened my wardrobe to reveal my clothes, before she left she said how disgusted she was that I filmed her visit and that it was an invasion her privacy (that's rich considering she printed photo's of me off the internet, came into my home and demanding proof of address and job seeking efforts). Did anyone ever check Bertie's wardrobe or any of the folk who broke this countries back? Instead the small man gets trampled all over and privacy invaded by a civil servant on the hunt. I think these civil servants are under pressure to stop payments since there's 450,000 people on benefit which drains the country and the 500million euro in Public Service Sick Pay!!! You don't see anything being done about all their sick days off every year and benefits for lunch, travel, health care, holiday pay? I know........ its easier to pick on the small fry on social welfare instead.

fl4pj4ck

you're perfectly fine to film anyone inside your house. publishing it is another story however

michellie

That's discgraceful! Just thinking about it now,I actually had a visit from our welfare officer years ago(2/3) when we applied for mortgage interest supplement(think that's what its called!) He just came into the sittin room though, very very rude man, hated having to ever deal with him!

trishawisha

The first visit is usually a scheduled one, but they can make unannounced visits also. The cwo and her colleague called at our house for my partner at 9.30am, had to wake him up.
I know what she did was fairly ****ty, printing pics of you, but do you think she or anyone else in that office is going to go out of their way to help you now?

rebel fighter

trishawisha wrote: »

do you think she or anyone else in that office is going to go out of their way to help you now?

Not expecting anyone to go out of their way and do me any favours, all I expect is my entitlements and to be treated with some respect and understanding as a human being. Do they not do that? I also feel I was well within my right to video her visit within my home just incase an accusation was made or a nasty comment was made towards me since I was there alone with no witnesses. Have to be careful these days, since my first visit with her was pretty horrendous. Sure she couldn't say anything negative or nasty while the video was rolling... And I was mannerly and cooperative throughout the time she came. So why wouldn't her or anyone in that office help me in the future?

trishawisha

Of course you have every right to be treated like a human being. They are not like the rest of us. They have in their hands our ability to eat and pay rent, many of them do not see us as equals. Its not fair but it seems to me with the experience of being with my partner who has been claiming for over two years, they will do their very best not to help you. Its an awful situation and I hope you wont need them for as long as we did.
Partner has been offered job from internship he started in January and he cant wait to tell them where to shove his €120 pw!

rebel fighter

I wish your husband the best of luck with the job from the Internship. I hope it works out. 120euro per week is very little money to be getting. You are right they don't see us as equals but they forget it was the likes of the working man and self employed who paid taxes to pay for their jobs within the public service.

mp22

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055070569

Item 5 includes the staff of same.

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