Anyone else still waiting on SUSI Grant?

pookiepoo

Have never wanted to leave this country as I do now. Trying to get myself a degree but would be better off on the dole and have more money. Bring on next year until I get the fu*k out. Everything is so complicated and no one has a clue what their doing in SUSI. Sack them all and hire me!

leaveiton

I was looking at the email I got last week about my payment and realised it wasn't actually from Susi, it was from the city of Dublin VEC. So that could be the reason other people didn't get an email/didn't get paid, different local authorities?

Annasopra

leaveiton wrote: »

I was looking at the email I got last week about my payment and realised it wasn't actually from Susi, it was from the city of Dublin VEC. So that could be the reason other people didn't get an email/didn't get paid, different local authorities?

SUSI is the City of Dublin VEC

Annasopra

Avox wrote: »

I think we can just all agree that SUSI are a bunch of retards

No.

I would disagree. I think they probably underestimated the administrative work involved in centralising the system.

As always, I suggest you complain to your local TDs and ask for this to be forwarded onto Ruairi Quinn

ElectroJazz

Well I'm not sure whats happened with the rest of you but I got paid into my bank at the start of this week after receiving an email from SUSI last week.

bef

pollybeans wrote: »

I was told I would be paid yesterday or today. But no. Of course I'm still broke. I'm getting the Special Rate of Maintenance Grant which works out at 600 a month. My rent is due this week - 320 - I have 30 in my bank account. I was told that I would be paid for September and October then hours later, was told I wouldn't be paid for September, that payment comes in June - When I'm no even in college anymore?!

I'm so sick of Ireland and it's crap government schemes that I'm applying to colleges in the UK. I'm so broke, and so is my family, that I've considered dropping out - which wouldn't have happened if they paid me on time like they said they would. I am heartbroken and stressed.

Thats so tough for you I've two here in the house climbing the walls waiting for the grant,rang susi today,I actually think they don't know themselves,they could'nt give me a definite answer only ring back friday if we hav'nt heard by then?

Avox

Turns out I've been awarded the wrong rate of grant, €4,000 less than I should be getting. I've sent a letter to the national newspapers, and my local TDs and I'm going to throw it up here too, just to show how bad they are to deal with.

As you know, the student grant authority changed from a localised granting authority to a nationalised granting authority this year. As a result of this, all of the new applicants in Ireland for a grant have been applying to one centralised unit, which is unable to cope with it. I'm going to use my story as an example.

I applied on the first day that the applications opened, way back in June. I was thinking, if I was one of the first applicants in, surely I'd be one of the first to be awarded a grant, and one of the first to receive a payment. Unfortunately, that wasn't how it actually played out. About a month after my initial application, I got a call asking me for my documents to back up my application. I sent them in immediately, as I already had them prepared and put in an envelope. That should have been the end of my process, well for me at least. Two weeks later, I get a phone call from a SUSI agent, telling me that the Social Welfare statement that I sent in for my father was incorrect, despite the fact that I knew it wasn't. I raised this issue with her, but she seemed clueless as to what I was on about, and just quoted me some lines from whatever spreadsheet of quotes was laid in front of her. Needless to say, I was enraged at the lack of professionalism, but I re-sent the Social Welfare statement any way, so as not to hinder my progress.

A month later, I get another call from a SUSI support agent, telling me they haven't received any Social Welfare statement from me. Bare in mind, I had received a call from the previous agent, saying that she had my document, and then I sent another, which had somehow mysteriously disappeared too. I was beyond angry at this stage, but I re-sent the Social Welfare form again. At this stage, numerous people had already received their Final Course Acceptance Form from SUSI. Applicants who had applied weeks after me had all sent it in, but I was still wait-listed as the agents in the support desk had lost my documents so many times.

I spent weeks ringing the support desk, trying to find some resolution to the issues that they had caused, but all I got was a few grunts and quotes from whatever selection they were allowed to use. After a few weeks, I eventually got through to a supervisor who promised that he would resolve my issue. Two weeks later, it had been solved. I'd been told I had been awarded the grant, and that I had nothing to worry about. Words couldn't describe how happy I was that my financial problems appeared to be resolved. I'm living in student accommodation, and I had worked out a payment plan with them, that I could pay my rent monthly to coincide with my grant. I was due to pay my rent towards the end of this week, and it should have coincided with my first grant payment.

Today, I found out that SUSI had awarded me a grant of €1,250 from one of the agents over the phone. This is the grant for people who live under 45km from their college, and whose income is somewhere in the high twenty thousands. My family situation is that there are five of us in the family, and our income is just over €21,000. The rate I should have been awarded is €5,950 (the special, non-adjacent rate). Now I'm in a situation where my rent is due, and I've been awarded an incorrect amount of money which isn't even sufficient to pay my rent. My family can't support me through college as their income is so low, and the student accommodation agency clearly aren't going to wait around for me to pay it. So, what happens next? I get kicked out of my accommodation? I have to drop out of college and join the dole queue, just like the hundreds of thousands of others who the government are trying to get off the live register? They're certainly not trying hard enough if this is how they treat students who can't afford to support their own education.

Gosh

Avox wrote: »

Today, I found out that SUSI had awarded me a grant of €1,250 from one of the agents over the phone. This is the grant for people who live under 45km from their college, and whose income is somewhere in the high twenty thousands. My family situation is that there are five of us in the family, and our income is just over €21,000. The rate I should have been awarded is €5,950 (the special, non-adjacent rate). Now I'm in a situation where my rent is due, and I've been awarded an incorrect amount of money which isn't even sufficient to pay my rent. My family can't support me through college as their income is so low, and the student accommodation agency clearly aren't going to wait around for me to pay it. So, what happens next? I get kicked out of my accommodation? I have to drop out of college and join the dole queue, just like the hundreds of thousands of others who the government are trying to get off the live register? They're certainly not trying hard enough if this is how they treat students who can't afford to support their own education.

I had exactly the same problem with my son being awarded the adjacent rate when it was clear the distance between home and college was nearly 80kms, if you're sure it's more than 45km then phone SUSI and lodge an appeal over the phone, I did this and within 2 days it was changed to the non-adjacent rate

Avox

Gosh wrote: »

I had exactly the same problem with my son being awarded the adjacent rate when it was clear the distance between home and college was nearly 80kms, if you're sure it's more than 45km then phone SUSI and lodge an appeal over the phone, I did this and within 2 days it was changed to the non-adjacent rate

I did that but he said it is the non-adjacent and that it's all mixed up completely. Whoever did it must have been extremely stupid like

OldNotWIse

Halfway though app (they are sending me messages asking for documentation) but am I right in saying that one does not qualify if doing a part time course?

Jordan_G

Just gave then my bank details there, and got the confirmation email.
I for rewarded the adjacent grant.. Andbody have any sort of idea when we'll get paid? I entered my details just today, does that make any sort of difference? :P

cono121

Jordan_G wrote: »

Just gave then my bank details there, and got the confirmation email.
I for rewarded the adjacent grant.. Andbody have any sort of idea when we'll get paid? I entered my details just today, does that make any sort of difference? :P

You and everyone else are waiting for any clear info off SUSI, so you will be waiting.


*Question: If you appeal does it stop your current award, my current award is Full Non-adjacent, although my household income is 17,902 and the Special Rate cut off is around 22,700; so i am well within my right to appeal, am I correct!?

I hope so, because i have sent it off today.

Rubber_Soul

Add another to the list of people still waiting.

I started back this year as a mature student, wasn't unemployed long enough to qualify for the BTEA and am really struggling to find any kind of work, so at the moment I have literally zero income and savings aren't going to last me much longer. College has told me I have until the end of this week to defer so my only options are to sit tight and hope the grant comes through and run the risk of having to drop out and lose any entitlement to the free fee's initiative, or defer for the year and become another number on the live register and hopefully get some work by next Sept. Pretty depressing options tbh.

LedZeppelin

cono121 wrote: »

*Question: If you appeal does it stop your current award, my current award is Full Non-adjacent, although my household income is 17,902 and the Special Rate cut off is around 22,700; so i am well within my right to appeal, am I correct!?

I hope so, because i have sent it off today.

I'm wondering the exact same thing.. I know I qualify for the special rate because I got it last year and yet I was awarded full maintenance adjacent.
I dont want to appeal if it means my money is cut off until decision is made

cono121

LedZeppelin wrote: »

I'm wondering the exact same thing.. I know I qualify for the special rate because I got it last year and yet I was awarded full maintenance adjacent.
I dont want to appeal if it means my money is cut off until decision is made

I know the same thoughts were flying around today, after attempting to ring them numerous times today and failing due to how busy they all are.

I decided to send off my appeal with attached P60, P21, Payslips...etc.

So there should be no excuse, it shouldn't mean the money we have been awarded already would be stopped, especially when they asked to send appeal before 30days of being awarded. Give them no excuse!

AlexDublin

Avox wrote: »

Turns out I've been awarded the wrong rate of grant, €4,000 less than I should be getting. I've sent a letter to the national newspapers, and my local TDs and I'm going to throw it up here too, just to show how bad they are to deal with.

As you know, the student grant authority changed from a localised granting authority to a nationalised granting authority this year. As a result of this, all of the new applicants in Ireland for a grant have been applying to one centralised unit, which is unable to cope with it. I'm going to use my story as an example.

I applied on the first day that the applications opened, way back in June. I was thinking, if I was one of the first applicants in, surely I'd be one of the first to be awarded a grant, and one of the first to receive a payment. Unfortunately, that wasn't how it actually played out. About a month after my initial application, I got a call asking me for my documents to back up my application. I sent them in immediately, as I already had them prepared and put in an envelope. That should have been the end of my process, well for me at least. Two weeks later, I get a phone call from a SUSI agent, telling me that the Social Welfare statement that I sent in for my father was incorrect, despite the fact that I knew it wasn't. I raised this issue with her, but she seemed clueless as to what I was on about, and just quoted me some lines from whatever spreadsheet of quotes was laid in front of her. Needless to say, I was enraged at the lack of professionalism, but I re-sent the Social Welfare statement any way, so as not to hinder my progress.

A month later, I get another call from a SUSI support agent, telling me they haven't received any Social Welfare statement from me. Bare in mind, I had received a call from the previous agent, saying that she had my document, and then I sent another, which had somehow mysteriously disappeared too. I was beyond angry at this stage, but I re-sent the Social Welfare form again. At this stage, numerous people had already received their Final Course Acceptance Form from SUSI. Applicants who had applied weeks after me had all sent it in, but I was still wait-listed as the agents in the support desk had lost my documents so many times.

I spent weeks ringing the support desk, trying to find some resolution to the issues that they had caused, but all I got was a few grunts and quotes from whatever selection they were allowed to use. After a few weeks, I eventually got through to a supervisor who promised that he would resolve my issue. Two weeks later, it had been solved. I'd been told I had been awarded the grant, and that I had nothing to worry about. Words couldn't describe how happy I was that my financial problems appeared to be resolved. I'm living in student accommodation, and I had worked out a payment plan with them, that I could pay my rent monthly to coincide with my grant. I was due to pay my rent towards the end of this week, and it should have coincided with my first grant payment.

Today, I found out that SUSI had awarded me a grant of €1,250 from one of the agents over the phone. This is the grant for people who live under 45km from their college, and whose income is somewhere in the high twenty thousands. My family situation is that there are five of us in the family, and our income is just over €21,000. The rate I should have been awarded is €5,950 (the special, non-adjacent rate). Now I'm in a situation where my rent is due, and I've been awarded an incorrect amount of money which isn't even sufficient to pay my rent. My family can't support me through college as their income is so low, and the student accommodation agency clearly aren't going to wait around for me to pay it. So, what happens next? I get kicked out of my accommodation? I have to drop out of college and join the dole queue, just like the hundreds of thousands of others who the government are trying to get off the live register? They're certainly not trying hard enough if this is how they treat students who can't afford to support their own education.

WOW! That is crazy considering how long ago you sent all your documentation!!! Hope you get it all sorted.

I still havent had an update. When I rang them last friday week they said they have all my documents including final acceptance form and i need to wait max 7-10 working days.

Annasopra

Avox wrote: »

Turns out I've been awarded the wrong rate of grant, €4,000 less than I should be getting. I've sent a letter to the national newspapers, and my local TDs and I'm going to throw it up here too, just to show how bad they are to deal with.

As you know, the student grant authority changed from a localised granting authority to a nationalised granting authority this year. As a result of this, all of the new applicants in Ireland for a grant have been applying to one centralised unit, which is unable to cope with it. I'm going to use my story as an example.

I applied on the first day that the applications opened, way back in June. I was thinking, if I was one of the first applicants in, surely I'd be one of the first to be awarded a grant, and one of the first to receive a payment. Unfortunately, that wasn't how it actually played out. About a month after my initial application, I got a call asking me for my documents to back up my application. I sent them in immediately, as I already had them prepared and put in an envelope. That should have been the end of my process, well for me at least. Two weeks later, I get a phone call from a SUSI agent, telling me that the Social Welfare statement that I sent in for my father was incorrect, despite the fact that I knew it wasn't. I raised this issue with her, but she seemed clueless as to what I was on about, and just quoted me some lines from whatever spreadsheet of quotes was laid in front of her. Needless to say, I was enraged at the lack of professionalism, but I re-sent the Social Welfare statement any way, so as not to hinder my progress.

A month later, I get another call from a SUSI support agent, telling me they haven't received any Social Welfare statement from me. Bare in mind, I had received a call from the previous agent, saying that she had my document, and then I sent another, which had somehow mysteriously disappeared too. I was beyond angry at this stage, but I re-sent the Social Welfare form again. At this stage, numerous people had already received their Final Course Acceptance Form from SUSI. Applicants who had applied weeks after me had all sent it in, but I was still wait-listed as the agents in the support desk had lost my documents so many times.

I spent weeks ringing the support desk, trying to find some resolution to the issues that they had caused, but all I got was a few grunts and quotes from whatever selection they were allowed to use. After a few weeks, I eventually got through to a supervisor who promised that he would resolve my issue. Two weeks later, it had been solved. I'd been told I had been awarded the grant, and that I had nothing to worry about. Words couldn't describe how happy I was that my financial problems appeared to be resolved. I'm living in student accommodation, and I had worked out a payment plan with them, that I could pay my rent monthly to coincide with my grant. I was due to pay my rent towards the end of this week, and it should have coincided with my first grant payment.

Today, I found out that SUSI had awarded me a grant of €1,250 from one of the agents over the phone. This is the grant for people who live under 45km from their college, and whose income is somewhere in the high twenty thousands. My family situation is that there are five of us in the family, and our income is just over €21,000. The rate I should have been awarded is €5,950 (the special, non-adjacent rate). Now I'm in a situation where my rent is due, and I've been awarded an incorrect amount of money which isn't even sufficient to pay my rent. My family can't support me through college as their income is so low, and the student accommodation agency clearly aren't going to wait around for me to pay it. So, what happens next? I get kicked out of my accommodation? I have to drop out of college and join the dole queue, just like the hundreds of thousands of others who the government are trying to get off the live register? They're certainly not trying hard enough if this is how they treat students who can't afford to support their own education.

Have you spoken to your student union welfare officer?

I suggest forwarding on your email to your student union education officer and president and the USI education officer and president.

In terms of your finances I suggest speaking to your student union welfare officer and also local st vincent de paul

Jordan_G

I got my grant sorted and sent away correctly, I was one of the earlier applicants though.

Thankfully, I'm not dependent on the Grant, as I live close to the College..

Just from reading these posts, I realise why our Economy is in such dire state.
I mean, they are practically encouraging people to STAY ON THE DOLE. They are forcing people to drop out or making their college lives unattainable..

This is a perfect example as to why the Country is F*CKED. They mess up a totally good way of means, as in the local VEC's sorting out the grants..

Avox

Thanks for all your replies! It appears my letter and my local TD's help got it sorted as the supervisor rang me back two hours after posting the letter here, and to my TDs and said that it was their mistake, and I had been awarded the special rate and will get paid Friday!

Guess it's proof that sitting around and letting them do crap like this isn't the way to go, stick up for yourself!

pookiepoo

Avox wrote: »

Thanks for all your replies! It appears my letter and my local TD's help got it sorted as the supervisor rang me back two hours after posting the letter here, and to my TDs and said that it was their mistake, and I had been awarded the special rate and will get paid Friday!

Guess it's proof that sitting around and letting them do crap like this isn't the way to go, stick up for yourself!

I sent an email yesterday a long one like yours explaining my story and sent it to all my local TDs and everyone of them has replied back and told me they have been in contact with SUSI and are trying to help me. I am delighted they are all trying to help. So hopefully I will have good news soon. Write an email at least someone might listen to them.

Ruen

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1025/1224325680718.html

Over 50,000 applications still to be processed by new online system

ÁINE McMAHON

Thu, Oct 25, 2012

STUDENT GRANTS: More than 50,000 student grant applications are still being processed by the new central online system set up this year.

The Department of Education announced details of the new system in June which deals with new grant applications for the 2012/2013 academic year. Those in receipt of grants before this continue to deal with the existing 66 grant-awarding authorities until they finish their course.

Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has confirmed, in response to a parliamentary question from Sinn Féin education spokesman Jonathan O’Brien, that 52,430 grant applications are still being processed.

A county-by-county breakdown of the status of applications showed that out of 65,000 received by the new system, over 12,000 decisions have been made and just over 3,000 grants have been awarded.

Mr O’Brien said the new system was supposed to make the process of applying for a grant a good deal easier but “regrettably, there have been serious flaws which have resulted in delayed payments”.

“The consequences for students and their families cannot be overstated and my office in Cork has dealt with people who have been left in dire straits by the failings of the new online system . . .”

© 2012 The Irish Times

So if you haven't been awarded a grant yet your application is likely sitting in a 50,000 deep pile waiting to be seen to:mad::(:confused::eek:

IrishLad2012

Just got through there after waiting for about 40 minutes. They tell me that my application is still in a queue to be seen by an assessor,sent the information in July.Looks like im along with the other 50,000,when I asked him if I would get anything before Christmas,he hesitated and said he couldn't comment.

Annasopra

This was on a Senators page from Ruairi Quinn

The processing of student grants for new entrants has been centralised under one body – SUSI – from this year. This replaces the 66 grant-awarding bodies which were previously responsible.

Last Friday, payments for the first 663 students were made and over 3,000 further applicants are at payment stage pending confirmation of registration from their college and submission of their bank details. Weekly payments will be made over the coming weeks to ensure that students receive money as soon as their grant applications have been approved.

65,000 applications have been received by SUSI this year, of which approximately 35,000 applications are expected to succeed. All successful applicants are expected to receive payments before the end of December - you will recall that in the past many students did not receive payments until much later in the academic year.

Of the 65,000 applications received, 5,000 (all late applications) are awaiting initial assessment. A further 10,000 have been refused, or cancelled by the applicants.

This leaves 50,000 applications with SUSI:

• Over 16,000 applications are awaiting full documentation to be submitted by the students. Text reminders have been sent to applicants in a further effort to get the documentation submitted. This year, it is no longer necessary for students to submit original documentation – photocopies will be accepted.
• Almost 20,000 sets of documents are awaiting validation. It should be noted that 17,500 of these have been submitted incorrectly at least once, and are awaiting validation for at least the second time. The company validating these documents has increased staffing levels by 20, and is now validating over 1,500 document packs per day.
• The remaining 14,500 applications have been assessed by SUSI. Over 4,000 have been awarded. Over 2,000 are provisionally awarded pending submission of their course acceptance form. 4,500 are currently being reviewed by SUSI, while a further 4,000 have had additional information requested from the students involved.

It is inevitable that a late rush of applications will cause some delays in a student grant processing system. We are continuing to increase the staffing levels available to SUSI, working with USI to encourage students to submit outstanding documentation, and seeking to constantly improve the information available both online, and from the SUSI helpdesk.

It has been agreed that next year an online tracker will be available for students to track their applications. An information pack for college staff will also be produced and circulated, and SUSI will accept applications earlier next year. All of these actions will help improve both the operation and transparency of the system.

I will continue to provide updates over the coming weeks. In the meantime, Oireachtas members can contact Oireachtas@susi.cdvec.ie directly with queries. We are working with SUSI to continually improve the responses which are being provided to queries submitted by Oireachtas members.

leemurta

Quick question about grant: If both me and my sister were receiving a grant, but one of us was living away from home(the college is more than 45km away from home), how much more would the person living away from home get, in comparison to the other? Would it be much more?

AlexDublin

i think i am in the 4500 that are currently being reviewed.

SarahJ100

so i sent away all my stuff in july, got a a letter this morning asking for all the same documents AGAIN, rang SUSI and was put on with a man who hadnt a clue, i just dont know anymore

cono121

Another Friday, I was told today would be payday, still zero in my account. ****ing assholes

DonnaMarieAva

I'm still awaiting my letter from SUSI telling me how much I've been awarded and asking for my bank details. They told me a little less than two weeks ago and I should have received it by today. This is utterly atrocious. These people should be on the ball. I am bitterly disappointed. Rumor has it that we may not see money in our accounts till February next year. Now I'm starting to think that's possible.

bk2busymum24

Just got approval letter for special grant - relieved - entered bank ac details & waiting to see when paid. Hope everyone else gets theirs through quickly. I submitted online on July 9th and sent requested documents late August.

Annasopra

leemurta wrote: »

Quick question about grant: If both me and my sister were receiving a grant, but one of us was living away from home(the college is more than 45km away from home), how much more would the person living away from home get, in comparison to the other? Would it be much more?

These are the rates - the ones for more are for those living futrher away

Special rate €5,915 €2,375
Full Maintenance €3,025 €1,215
Part maintenance (75%) €2,270 €910
Part maintenance (50%) €1,515 €605
Part maintenance (25%) €755 €305