Applying for a PPS number outside of Ireland

TomSweeney

Hi,

I need to apply for a PPS number for my son - we live abroad but he has an Irish passport.

He needs the PPS as he inherited some money from his granny that recently died (my mother).

I also need my own as I have long lost mine.

The email cis@welfare.ie are ignorning my emails (this is the official point of contact)

I cannot get through to any number - just rings out or if I'm lucky they redirect me to the email...

I have the form for my son and filled out and emailed the scanned docs to the email above, but nothing ...

Anyone do this recently ?

bluegiant4

I am in the same boat as you. We sent all the documents in early June and we are still waiting for any response despite numerous emails.

Mrs OBumble

State benefits would be a more helpful forum to ask this in. After hours, the clown show will be along shortly to poke fun at ya.

Processing time for new PPS numbers in normal times can be 5 to 6 weeks, but my guess is your emails are stuck in a processing queue.

Approx 183 thousand new PPS numbers have already been issued this year, up to the start of August - that is more then the whole of 2021.

They will get to you. It's just going to take longer than normal.

put_the_kettle_on

You'll have to trust the process, OP. I was the same earlier this year when me and Himself applied for our PPS numbers in order to buy a house.

Filled in the forms, scanned the ID proof and emailed it in. In our case the numbers were to be sent to our solicitor in Ballina and we never heard a thing from them until the numbers arrived at the solicitor's office.

TomSweeney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119518257#Comment_119518257

So I have proof of address of my son, his ID, his Birth Cert (in Spanish), my ID, + the forms filled out + the proof of grant of probate (Solicitors letter).

Im almost sure that's everything ..

Headless_1916

Just went through the same thing. I already had one (grew up in Cork), but we needed one for my wife.

Filed for PPS numbers 17 May via e-mail, received no response.

Followed up on June 1st to verify they received the information and that it included everything needed for the applications, got no response.

Our solicitor sent an e-mail following up and asking if they had received everything they needed on 13 June, and explained that the numbers were critical for completing a house purchase -- she had received no response by June 20th, so I started calling at 1AM local time (pacific coast USA), 9AM Irish time each day starting on that day, to try and get through to a person, concerned that we weren't even in a queue and over a month had passed since we originally sent in the request and we had heard absolutely nothing back.

I finally got through to somebody at the CIS offices via telephone on June 23rd -- several days I sat on hold for 40+ minutes and never got through to a person... but a very polite and helpful lady looked into our application and indicated that she could see that we needed to provide further proof of address than we had already provided. This proved to be quite confusing, because our solicitor then received notice on June 24th before we even sent that extra proof of address over, indicating that the request had already been processed on June 17th and the PPS numbers mailed out the same day.

Not sure if our solicitor reaching out on our behalf made the difference, but they did respond only to her e-mail, and never responded to any e-mails that we had sent in.

maninasia

The whole process is ridiculously chaotic.

Hiw difficult is it to setup a ticket system that confirms your application is being worked on and what stage it is at ?

And yes basically their phone line isnt operational amd hasnt been for many months already

Had major and similar problems and I am in Ireland. Once they start dealing with your case it is efficient but sometimes, yes, applications are juat sittting there because info is missing. By thr way they dont officially take walkins from the public ekther. Their offices are ghost towns as they try to make everything online. But then then they dont have an online system?

Very chaotic. Poor service.

SuperBowserWorld

As someone has said, they've got a huge application increase.

Also, I would hope it involves some kind of due diligence as it's would be very easy to scam this system if it's all online.

Also, everyone sending highly personal documents via email/online is another huge security hole. I'd say they are terrified of a data breach.

I would imagine it's the same if not worse in any country. Seems like it's very easy to get a PPS number here.

It does not sound like an emergency in your case OP.

Also, online, phone is much cheaper, simpler and quicker than having to get to an office in Dublin and queue to do this.

I'd say they have piles of applocations, plus Ukrainian applications, etc etc

But, yeah, something lacking in the process automation of this.

maninasia

If they answered the phone or answered emails ...it would be...'easy'.

You seem to have have skipped over the very problems we face. Their phone service is almost zero.

My experience along with others is that it is very difficult to get a response or acknowledgement that an application has been received.

Thats just basic stuff isn't it.

At least the INIS and the passport office can do that and give you a tracking number .

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119527949#Comment_119527949

Over 1000 new PPS numbers are being issued every working day.

There have been more PPS numbers issued to date this year than in the whole of 2021 and they are expecting the number to exceed 300 thousand this year.

Hardly a poor service, just a very busy one that is dealing with an unprecedented amount of new applications over previous years and coming off the back of the covid pandemic as well.

maninasia

I'm telling you and so are others that it IS poor from our experience above.

I've described how it should be improved already.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119531660#Comment_119531660

I could say the same of your attitude. You're basing this "poor" experience on one time use of a service during a period when it is experiencing unprecedented numbers of applications.

Unfortunately, you'll just have to have some patience.

In the interim, every email you resend only clogs up the system because every one IS read, and filtering through them all takes up staff resources whose time would actually be better spent on processing applications.

maninasia

Are you working there or something?

Can you go look for my application file they lost the first time with no explanation or apology?

I need that stuff back!

And tell soembody to answer the phone or email for God's sake.

HerrKuehn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119531687#Comment_119531687

I think your perspective on what constitutes acceptable delivery of a service is due to you working in the PS. It sounds like a very poor service at least in terms of communication. You can't just leave someone for months not knowing if their email ended up in a spam folder. There should be some sort of automated system for doing this but as is often the case the PS is prehistoric in this area. Also, I am not sure what covid has to do with the delays, the PS were able to work effectively during covid were they not?

This is only one section of the Dept and like I said, 1000 pps numbers being processed a day by this "prehistoric" service.

And yes, DPS did keep working effectively during the Pandemic making sure everyone got their PUP payments and other entitlements while under fierce pressure, but how quickly that is forgotten.

No service will ever be good enough or delivered quickly enough for some people, and I'm sick of people moaning about it. You never hear the good stories of when someone goes out of their way to help out, only the complaints.

HerrKuehn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119531910#Comment_119531910

All services need to communicate in a timely manner. So, if someone applies they should at the very least get an email saying you are in the queue, your request number is XYZ, we have delays, we expect it might take 2 months. Something like that.

If there is no way to get in touch with them and you have no idea if they are actually working on it or have even received it, it isn't acceptable. You might find it acceptable but I certainly would not.

HerrKuehn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119531910#Comment_119531910

Also, with respect to the PUP, I think the fact that this is held up as a great example of how well services are provided by the state sector says a lot. The state managed covid with a passive approach, set rules, close restaurants/pubs and then shift responsibility onto citizens. We had restaurants and pubs closed for 7 months. This wasn't the only approach possible, if you look at Germany, they were able to have the vaccine pass ready way earlier, they had free testing available everywhere. So if you wanted to go to a restaurant, you just needed to get an antigen test done on the day. It was a more active management approach, but doing it that way means the state needs to get it's employees to do something they were not doing before. It is harder than passively setting rules and shifting responsibility to others, but it meant that people in Germany didn't have to put up with anything like the restrictions we had.

SuperBowserWorld

Yep, needs to be some acknowledgement that the application is in the system with a unique id to track it.

bluegiant4

A month later and we are still waiting. Unfortunately, we still cannot get through to anyone at the department. We might end up having to contact some TDs to get this sorted. Any advice would be appreciated.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119531910#Comment_119531910

The fact that you think this is adequate really just points out the depth of reform which the Irish public sector needs.

From a customer perspective, the service is appaling. Your "suck it up and wait" attitude is, too.

We have record low unemployment. There should be plenty of staff available to re assign to this work.