N26 (German) IBAN - SUSI Grants

danm14

I've been reading an older thread (https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057725726) in which Leap Card refused to accept non-Irish bank accounts for auto-top-up until the European Commission intervened. This most significantly made it impossible for holders of N26 and Revolut accounts to use this Leap Card feature.

I have recently started using an N26 account, and today attempted to enter my N26 IBAN on the SUSI website so my Student Grant would be deposited in the account. However, SUSI will only lodge grant payments to ROI bank and credit union accounts and not foreign SEPA accounts, a similar situation to that of Leap Card.

Is there any legal basis through which SUSI can refuse to do this, or is it indeed "IBAN discrimination" which is in breach of the SEPA regulations?

vectorvictor

Probably IBAN discrimination, against all rules and whatever but why make life difficult when you're getting the grant - alot of eligible people don't get it without appeal after appeal so just play by their rules (wrong as they may be) would be my advice. Open a free EBS account and transfer to N26 which will add about 1 minute hassle versus a pointless fight.

SUSI, Department of Social protection etc.. won't really be familiar with N26 so you will be inviting problems and drawing attention to your entitlement to your claim and residency / what you are hiding etc.. by seeking funds to be sent outside the state. Wrong maybe but you can see it from their side too when they don't know much about it.

lawred2

hmmm I'm not sure that the refusal to pay grants from schemes funded by Irish taxpayers into foreign accounts is necessarily something I'd be railing against.

You'd be quicker opening a free student account for your free money

Yggr of Asgard

Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No 260/2012 establishing technical and business requirements for credit transfers and direct debits in euro provides that neither a payer nor a payee shall specify the Member State in which that payment account is to be located, provided that the payment account is reachable.

So in principle they are in breach of the regulation if they do not want to make a payment to your N26 bank account, however get ready for a lot of pain if you want to get that changed.

As you have seen in the thread about Leap it took a long time to get this sorted and only by constant chasing it up. And that was for a valid reason in which I wanted to give them money.

It might not be wise to pursue this agressivly as this might lead to negative reactions of the Ministry of Plenty by ordering a review of your entitlment or even a small note to revenue that you have a foreign bank account.

Yes you have the right but unfortunatly you can only get that right if you are willing to take the heat, as vectorvictor points out, you will suffer consequnces if you rail against the goverment and try to agressivly force them to comply with the rules. I'm with his advise, get an ESB account and transfer the money over.

I'm all for fighting for EU rights but it's hard, requires you to be willing to take in heat from the goverment, you will encounter TD's and MEP which don't give the slightes about your concern and once you finaly make progress you very quickly learn that different department of the goverment talk to each other and you get labled a trouble maker.

If you want to pursue it, good luck, but it might be wiser to simply open an ESB account.

Gooser14

Yggr of Asgard wrote:

Yes you have the right but unfortunatly you can only get that right if you are willing to take the heat, as vectorvictor points out, you will suffer consequnces if you rail against the goverment and try to agressivly force them to comply with the rules. I'm with his advise, get an ESB account and transfer the money over.

I think you mean EBS account!

Delta2113

https://www.ebs.ie/daily-banking/ebs-moneymanager-account-and-debit-card - No brainer!