Lost Medical Card because of Jobbridge

iPhone.

A cousin of mine has just been refused renewal of his medical card on the basis he is over the income threshold - nothing has changed in his finances since he was first granted the card, he still has the same income, it's just the new income threshold and reduction in allowable expenses imposed recently by the current government that has made him ineligible.

His only income comes from his wifes CE scheme allowance and his means tested JSA.

Last year, four days before his JSB ran out he started a 9 month Jobbridge placement. During this time his medical card came up for review and it was granted for a further 9 months because he was on jobbridge.

Unfortunately he didn't get offered a job after the 9 months but went back on JSB for four days, then was means tested and granted JSA. His medical card was then also reviewed again and this time they refused it because they have changed the criteria as stated.

He rents a medical device which costs €100 a month, and he is on drugs for a number of conditions including a recently diagnosed heart condition. He is in no position to afford the outlay for the drugs/medical device rental/doctors visits he routinely needs.

He sent off all the information including supporting documentation with the medical card review form for both himself and his wife, the medical card was granted for his wife but not for him because she is on a CE scheme. They then sent a seperate letter with a different reference number on it saying he has been assessed seperately and refused on means and said their was no supporting documents supplied by him (they had kept the documents with the original application for him and his wife and for some reason decided to create a new reference number for him with no documents).

He had to re-send copies of all the supporting documents which he sent by registered post to make sure they got there. After that despite numerous calls he has not received any information. On one call they did say his card would usually be extended for a period while there is an ongoing query but this had not happened and his card is now expired.

If he had not tried to increase his chances of a job by taking up jobbridge he would be much better off now.

He would have been assessed under the old criteria nine months ago and would have been fine and most likely granted the card for another 3 years.
Also when he was on jobbridge he was refused the 20 Euro fuel allowance because its not allowed on jobbridge either, it seems by trying to improve his job prospects he actually lost out more!

(And I know their was a fifty euro a week allowance for jobbridge but he spent more than that every week travelling to where his jobbridge placement happened to be).

He really is in a bad way now as he can't afford the rental of the medical device which will have to be returned to the company and he is really struggling to afford the outlay for the monthly meds. I even sent an online query for him on the medicalcard website just before his card expired but did not even receive an acknowledgment since.

They just seem to be totally ignoring his situation .Has anyone else been though something similar or does anyone have any advice?

danjo-xx

Tell him not to be put off, appeal appeal appeal

Appeals
If you have been refused a medical card and are not satisfied with the decision, you may have it reviewed at your Local Health Office. Your circumstances may have changed or you may have left out some relevant information from the original application. If following this you are still not satisfied you may make an appeal to the Appeals Office of your HSE Area. The contact details will also be contained in your letter of refusal. The Appeals Office will conduct a reassessment of your application. This will be conducted by HSE staff who were not involved in deciding on your original application.


HSE Central Medical Card Office

Client Registration Unit
P.O Box 11745
Finglas
Dublin 11
Ireland.

Locall:Callsave: 1890 252 919
Fax:01-8343589
Homepage: https://www.sspcrs.ie/portal/medapp/index.jsp

ABajaninCork

That's really weird. I would most definitely appeal. And I'd get the local TD involved too - let him/her earn their money for once!

Our Medical Cards were due to expire in July. I sent off an online query asking what needed to be done to renew. Heard nothing, but two lovely new cards dropped on our two weeks later!

dave1982

Once again someone who gets up off their ass and goes out to get job for 50 euro a week extra on the the dole, gets knocked by down :mad:

notharrypotter

And I'd get the local TD involved too

Just curious why is it that everyone seems to think that the solution to everyone's problems is to get their local TD involved.

ABajaninCork

notharrypotter wrote: »

Just curious why is it that everyone seems to think that the solution to everyone's problems is to get their local TD involved.

Did you read the OP? This is not everyone's problem. It is a very specific problem, which has serious implications for the OP's relative and is driven by political needs. God knows how many other people have been caught like this. THAT is why I suggested getting the TD involved.

By the way. People on Welfare payments doing Jobbridge roles have also been refused Fuel Allowance on the basis they are working! However, if the FA was claimed BEFORE they did JB, then they are allowed to keep that payment.

Absolute joke and I hope the OP's relative gets it sorted very soon.

rabjoshu

notharrypotter wrote: »

Just curious why is it that everyone seems to think that the solution to everyone's problems is to get their local TD involved.

I know! The TD can ask the minister a question in the Dáil and make her aware of this issue that may be affecting others.