ANOTHER SW Inspector meeting

aoife2k

A few weeks ago I was called for interview (which I know is normal practice) to the SW Office to check about my seeking employment etc..
Everything was fine and it was left at that.

However, today, a different SW Inspector called to my house when I was out, left a card with my Mum and had scribbled on the back where and when I had to meet her but also to bring a bank statement.

I'm totally confused as to why this is happening after I had an interview quite recently....??

Can anyone think or know of a reason why they have called?

Totally confused

Tombi!

Did you happen to bring a bank statement to the first interview? Or have you being doing anything suspicious that they might have picked up on (not saying you have or haven't, but if it sparked them off they might be curious)

aoife2k

They didn't ask for a bank statement the last time and if they did I would have obliged.

I don't know how I could have done anything suspicious since the last meeting when I'm currently not working as it's the summer holidays and I'm a qualified teacher.

I hate being made feel like a criminal and that I'm being spied on!

Balagan

A Social Welfare Inspector may interview you about your income and may ask you for supporting documents, such as bank statements or accounts. This may involve a visit to your home.http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/irish_social_welfare_system/means_test_for_social_welfare_payments/means_test.html

It is routine and within the guidelines (see above) for this to happen. Probably the inspector spotted the lack of a bank statement with your original application - bank statements always have to be shown for means tested payments. The Inspector will just check with you through your application for the purpose of ascertaining that all is as you stated and no changes of circumstances since.

aoife2k

Thanks for the replies :-)

rebel fighter

A Social welfare inspector can call to your home to double check that you are living there and that its your full time address. They also call by to see if you are cohabiting with someone or to ensure you are not working from home. They can call anytime they want with no prior notice (must be at a reasonable hour) and you must allow them entry into your home. They have the power to view all rooms in the house you are living in. If the inspector is not satisfied with his or her findings they can close your claim. They can also follow you during the day to ensure you are not working somewhere for cash and can find out the ownership of a vehicle by checking the ownership of a vehicle number plate. There is cross departmental information sharing across most government departments to ensure anti fraud.

Graces7

rebel fighter wrote: »

A Social welfare inspector can call to your home to double check that you are living there and that its your full time address. They also call by to see if you are cohabiting with someone or to ensure you are not working from home. They can call anytime they want with no prior notice (must be at a reasonable hour) and you must allow them entry into your home. They have the power to view all rooms in the house you are living in. If the inspector is not satisfied with his or her findings they can close your claim. They can also follow you during the day to ensure you are not working somewhere for cash and can find out the ownership of a vehicle by checking the ownership of a vehicle number plate. There is cross departmental information sharing across most government departments to ensure anti fraud.

In all my years on benefits, in the UK and here, have never had any of these things happen to me. It sounds scary indeed. And invasive in the extreme.. did have one CWO who threatened this but it never happened.

It is surely the exception.

Most likely thing is that they simply forgot to ask for the bank statement and are catching up with themselves now

aoife2k

Without going into too much detail...

I was reported to the SW by someone claiming that I was earning on the side. You don't understand how I feel about this now. To know that someone lifted the phone or filled in the online form, gave MY name and address to the SW Dept. Then to be called in and grilled to the point that no matter what I said the inspector was 100% I was lying. It was a case of 'guilty untill never proven otherwise' and I'm a different person.
I now trust no one and feel that I'm being watched when ever I'm out and about.
I have no idea why someone would do this...I've never done anything to anyone, fallen out with anyone or had a grudge/spite with anyone. I'm doing my own thing, minding my own business..

Now I know why they wanted my bank statement! :mad:

Graces7

aoife2k wrote: »

Without going into too much detail...

I was reported to the SW by someone claiming that I was earning on the side. You don't understand how I feel about this now. To know that someone lifted the phone or filled in the online form, gave MY name and address to the SW Dept. Then to be called in and grilled to the point that no matter what I said the inspector was 100% I was lying. It was a case of 'guilty untill never proven otherwise' and I'm a different person.
I now trust no one and feel that I'm being watched when ever I'm out and about.
I have no idea why someone would do this...I've never done anything to anyone, fallen out with anyone or had a grudge/spite with anyone. I'm doing my own thing, minding my own business..

Now I know why they wanted my bank statement! :mad:

Ah but we do know; been there and had that happen to us and it is a filthy trick.

With us it was a bank employee! Yep. a cashier, who had been rude to us on occasion.

We have family in Canada and had let them in need use our credit card there. Perfectly legal but she saw fit to accuse of fraud.

She got the sack later.... and we closed our account with that bank

And yes, trust no one.

At the end of the day, YOU know you are innocent and thus hold your head up high!

Blessings and peace

rebel fighter

Not enough people are complaining to their TD's and social welfare supervisors. Social Welfare Inspectors shouldn't have the right to call to people's homes unanounced whenever they want and interview people in their own homes accusing them of all sorts. And the regular occurance of parents being followed while taking their children to school is very serious indeed and has to be stopped. Its a very serious abuse of our privacy and human rights. It won't stop untill they eventually cut off everyone of their benefit entitlements. Wake up and see what's happening and stand together against a horrific government policy that is happening across the country between 9 - 5 Monday to Friday.

Balagan

aoife2k wrote: »

Without going into too much detail...

I was reported to the SW by someone claiming that I was earning on the side. You don't understand how I feel about this now. To know that someone lifted the phone or filled in the online form, gave MY name and address to the SW Dept. Then to be called in and grilled to the point that no matter what I said the inspector was 100% I was lying. It was a case of 'guilty untill never proven otherwise' and I'm a different person.
I now trust no one and feel that I'm being watched when ever I'm out and about.
I have no idea why someone would do this...I've never done anything to anyone, fallen out with anyone or had a grudge/spite with anyone. I'm doing my own thing, minding my own business..

Now I know why they wanted my bank statement! :mad:

Am I correct in understanding from your previous posts that you are an employed teacher who is, as is the usual practice due to the particular terms of your employment, claiming social welfare during the summer holidays? If this is the case, then it would seem possible that someone who is not familiar with this entitlement and thinks you are claiming while you are on a paid summer holiday has reported you? Did the inspector refuse to accept your assurance that you were not working during the holidays eventhough your current bank statement bore that out? If that is the case, then you should make a complaint. But if your assurance was accepted, then maybe try to move on from this with the understanding that the measures in place to catch those who are involved in welfare fraud, in addition to causing unfortunate upset to those who are accused while innocent, are showing up many who are defrauding the system.

schemingbohemia

I hope she isn't claiming social welfare if her holidays are paid for! Is she actually looking for work? Presumably she can only look for short term/part-time work if she knows she's going back to work in September?

And the more investigations into SW fraud the better, if you've nothing to hide what's the harm with having a SW inspector calling to your house?

Balagan

schemingbohemia wrote: »

I hope she isn't claiming social welfare if her holidays are paid for! Is she actually looking for work? Presumably she can only look for short term/part-time work if she knows she's going back to work in September?

And the more investigations into SW fraud the better, if you've nothing to hide what's the harm with having a SW inspector calling to your house?

Am not sure at all that the OP is currently employed. Just that it was stated by OP that they couldn't be working now as it's summer holidays and they are a qualified teacher. Assumed, maybe incorrectly, that such a statement means they are on unpaid summer holidays. People not only can work outside their field, but, indeed, would not meet the criteria for a social welfare payment if they limit their job search only to their particular qualification.

Graces7

schemingbohemia wrote: »

I hope she isn't claiming social welfare if her holidays are paid for! Is she actually looking for work? Presumably she can only look for short term/part-time work if she knows she's going back to work in September?

And the more investigations into SW fraud the better, if you've nothing to hide what's the harm with having a SW inspector calling to your house?

Have you had this happen to you? They are so invasive....

kildare.17hmr

Who exactly gives the social welfare inspector the right to enter your house? A guard cant even enter a house without a warrent unless persuimg someone who has just comitted a crime. Im not on welfare but if i was and they came knocking un announced they would be told to make an appointment

schemingbohemia

Graces7 wrote: »

But they do need to stop fraud. Without these draconian measures.

How? Without an unannounced visit how can they check whether people are co-habiting against the rules or have a higher standard of living than they are claiming.

I've never been on SW thankfully so have never had an unannounced SW visit but if I was I'd probably not be happy about it but would accept it as a necessary evil to ensure that only those fully entitled to payments get them.

Graces7

schemingbohemia wrote: »

How? Without an unannounced visit how can they check whether people are co-habiting against the rules or have a higher standard of living than they are claiming.

I've never been on SW thankfully so have never had an unannounced SW visit but if I was I'd probably not be happy about it but would accept it as a necessary evil to ensure that only those fully entitled to payments get them.

Old saying is not to judge how a person walks until you have worn his shoes.

That is your home. Maybe you are soaking in a hot bath, or having an afernoon nap.. or something else private.. or you have a visitor,..

And there she is! Total invasion.
The SW system is not supposed to take over our lives totally. It is meant to help us to live with dignity and peace. A home is not a hostel with a warden; we are adults after all. Not inmates but free people with rights.Itis not the workhouse or a prison,,, HOME. Where we are safe and at peace and private. HOME...

The system is not to punsih or degrade.

Not to be made to feel that your very soul is no longer your own.

Bad enough to be out of work or sick. But this kind of behaviour!

The way I got round the necesssary CWO visit was to rearrange everything so it no longer looked like my house. Took ages but helped greatly...
That is why I said no the second time. When there was no appointment made.

I would rather they were spying outside the house than that.

NB only just seen what I have bolded; what in earth does that mean? Higher standard of living?? What we do with what money we have is our choice and our right to choose. Some opine that we should have food and the clothes on our backs BUT NOTHING MORE. Certainly not a computer...

rebel fighter

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Who exactly gives the social welfare inspector the right to enter your house? A guard cant even enter a house without a warrent unless persuimg someone who has just comitted a crime. Im not on welfare but if i was and they came knocking un announced they would be told to make an appointment

The law and government have given these people (social welfare inspectors) the power to enter your home. If you refuse to let them in they will simply cut off your payment. This is what they have over peoples head. Most people just can't afford to risk their payment being cut off so have no choice but to allow these department officials into their homes saying goodbye to any piece of privacy, diginity and respect. Another reason why I'll never trust a government department ever in this country and another reason why I'll never vote for Labour or FG. Foolishly thinking they would make some great changes for us only to be thrown to the wolves. The jobless are the most vulnerable in society but together we are powerful. Why do you think the unions would never put up with this type of carry on, they are united. If workers homes were impeded in this manner there would be hell to pay. There should be a UNION for unemployed people to protect our families and rights. Its not against the law not to answer the door yet but you risk your claim being closed if you don't allow them in for interview and interogation.

hawthorne

Dignity has been lost in the system a long time ago.
The human being is not respected anymore.
Everybody is a number, a case. Anybody on SW is regarded as a cost factor. Anybody on SW is costing the system money and is treated like that.
People on SW are regarded as criminals and spungers- a burden on the system.
The actions of the system create fear in SW recipients- and that is how the system controls the people.
The vast majority of Irish citizens are not on the SW- so they do not give a damn about it. As long as they are not affected by the DoSP everything is fine for them.
So the bad behaviour of the cohorts of SW clerks keeps going on...
Surely there is a strong need for change...people are getting walked over day in day out .