Social office advice

gstack166

First off, apologys if this is in the wrong area on the site.

Basically, I'm looking for advice for signing on day. My signing day is this Tuesday but I have to call to the FAS office (which is right next door) tomorrow for a meeting on returning back to college (basically looking for funding) my problem is, I live 20 mins drive from my Social office & don't drive so always get a taxi up (which costs €60) so I'm just going to call into the Social Office tomorrow & ask can i sign then so to save me another Taxi fare up. I can't move the FAS appointment back to Tuesday as I need an answer re funding by Friday for a course starting November 6th. In my previous encounters with the Social department I feel like they try hinder you instead of helping you in situations like this & it takes everything in me not to blow a fuse with them, can't understand some of the problems they have over small things you discuss with them, has anyone been in the same boat as me & had a problem in moving there signing day or does anyone suggest I change my reason so to stand a better chance of being allowed sign or am I just being paranoid & shouldn't get any problems with them over this?

Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions

Ickle Magoo

Moved from PI.

Hey there OP,

This is the forum for queries on social welfare so you'll get more advice here.

All the best. :cool:

username123

Tbh I cant imagine they will be helpful, Ive always found them to be unbending re 'the rules'.

I cannot believe you pay a taxi 60 quid to go to the social welfare office!! Can you not take public transport or borrow a bike or get a lift off someone? How far is it?

gstack166

No mate, I'm living in West Limerick pure rural area. It's about 20km from where I live. Even if they would leave it until Friday it would help as I've a drive up that day.

Balagan

As you live over 10 miles from the Dept of Social Protection Office are you not signing on just every 3 months anyway? If that is the case, it may be difficult to justify changing the signing day but surely Fás, if you alert it to your situation, would be able to meet you on your signing day and bear in mind that you need the answer by Friday re the funding for your course.

In some cases you may sign on more or less frequently. Usually if you live up to 10 miles from the nearest Social Welfare Local Office you will sign on every 4 weeks. If you live over 10 miles from the nearest Social Welfare Local Office you will sign on every 12 weeks.
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/unemployed_people/signing_on.html

username123

Thats desperate for you, if I were you I would definitely phone ahead both Fas and the Social Welfare Office and see about changing either the signing day or the FAS meeting. Best of luck.

MariMel

My sign on is a thurs and in the week of my sign on (i sign on every 12 weeks) I was in town for an interview on the monday and an appt on the tuesday. Both days I went into the SW office and asked if I could sign on early as I wouldnt be able to make it in on the thurs. I was told there was no way I could sign on early. I even explained that I had a hospital appt on the fri so there was no way I could afford to come in on the thurs and the friday. Still no joy.
I ended up signing on late on the friday as I was in town that day anyway.

Its a bit of a mess anyway....
I get a slip in the post telling me to sign on any day week commencing X.
My slip from the post office tells me my sign on day is a wednesday.
The times I got written down by a SW officer was that my time was between half 10 and 11......but when i signed on I was told I would not be dealt with in future as my sign on time was actually between half 11 and 12!!!! Go figure!!!!