I didn't know I had to sign on for social welfare

MMnaraic

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone can help me!

I went to my post office today to collect my social welfare payment and they said they have nothing for me. I am new to getting job seekers social welfare and I did not think I had to sign on in my local social welfare office every so often. I feel really stupid but I thought signing on meant simply going to the post office every Wednesday to collect the payment, which I done last Wednesday.

I am starting to panic now as I'm worried it has been suspended for good. Has this ever happened to anyone? What should I do?

Thank so much in advance for anyone who can advise me on this.

Conall Cernach

Have you been to a social welfare office at all to tell them you require a Jobseekers payment? If not then how did you expect the post office to have money for you? If you have then you will have filled out a form and provided information to them. They will write to you telling you if you qualify, how much you qualify for, when you can collect payment and when you have to sign on.

Signing on is usually on a monthly basis though during covid restrictions it was done online.

MMnaraic

Conall Cernach i'm aware of all of that. I've been getting job seekers payment since January and when i went in today to collect it they said it wasn't there for me. I'm simply looking for advice on what to do next as it's obviously been suspended because I didn't sign on which I wasn't aware I had to do every so often

Cherry Blossom

Your next signing date is usually on the reciept the post office give you somewhere. Just ring them up and explain you are new to social welfare and don’t understand how it works. They will probably ask you to come in and sign or fill something in and you’ll get the money owed to you.

thegame983

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121889344#Comment_121889344

You can do it through mywelfare.ie, but as you have missed it you will probably need to go down in person

Conall Cernach

But they would surely have included your signing on details in their letter confirming your entitlement. How did you know when to collect your payment? Dig out all correspondence from them and get on the phone if that info isn't there. If it is there contact them explaining yourself.

MMnaraic

Yes I'm sure it was on correspondence that I received at the start and I must have over looked it because in my head I thought that "signing on" was literally signing your name on the electronic pad every Wednesday at the post office. I'm very new to this so I was not aware I had to present at the office every so often

Cherry Blossom

They never used to give you instructions on what to do and I can’t see things having changed much. They expect people on jobseekers for the first time to be psychic or something. I don’t remember ever being told I would need to sign on in the social welfare office or online. They used to send out the green slips when you had to go to the local garda station to do it years ago. I remember the slips would frequently arrive a few days after signing day and you had to go phoning around trying to find out what to do. Now that it’s in the social welfare office, you get nothing, just the date of your next sign on, on the bottom of your post office receipt somewhere when you collect your money.

standardg60

All sounds very confusing, may be easier to seek a job?

lawred2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121890332#Comment_121890332

Indeed

kippy

I don't believe the process to be overly convoluted or difficult, perhaps a call into the local Intreo will help clarify situation or a phone call, or a trip to the post office?

Olaz

Call to your Intreo office tomorrow (after 10:30am because it's Thursday) and sign. Your suspension will be lifted there and then and your payment will be in the post office 3 days later.

Nothing can be done over the phone in these circumstances.

Your signing date is printed at the bottom of your post office slip.

You must sign on in person quarterly or request to sign online monthly instead.