Illness benefit problems since new form

Bannasidhe · 30-10-2018 02:23PM

nicrob08 wrote: »

I question if this is a GDPR breach. Personal data going missing from a postbox dedicated for this purpose. I also hand into same office.

I've been posting mine to the P.O. Box address on the form.

banie01 · 30-10-2018 02:25PM

I got a payment of 198 this morning but still awaiting the payment due on 15/10.

Man with a plan · 30-10-2018 02:38PM

Anyone had any luck getting through to them on the phones today ?
I've tried calling a couple of times earlier this morning but just gave up on both occasions as I couldn't stay on the phone any longer.

Just wondering what the latest excuse is ?

mags4k · 30-10-2018 02:44PM

BohsCeltic wrote: »

I got 198 today but once again the bank were quick to move in despite them telling me last week that I would be refunded and the standing order cancelled.
Have to get on the phone again to them now.

That’s another problem, who pays the missed DD’s & SO’s?! If and when I do get money it will just be covering the cost of them

nicrob08 · 30-10-2018 02:47PM

Man with a plan wrote: »

Anyone had any luck getting through to them on the phones today ?
I've tried calling a couple of times earlier this morning but just gave up on both occasions as I couldn't stay on the phone any longer.

Just wondering what the latest excuse is ?

Spent 2 hours 15 mins in total trying to get through.

BohsCeltic · 30-10-2018 03:10PM

mags4k wrote: »

That’s another problem, who pays the missed DD’s & SO’s?! If and when I do get money it will just be covering the cost of them

That's it. It's costing people who paid their prsi to get their money back due to illness.
I was advised to change banks but obviously I can't get through to IB.

Bannasidhe · 30-10-2018 03:56PM

Mick Barry's office got back to me, apparently I should get a payment in the next 2/3 working days (we'll wait and see if that happens eh...!) and that I have a cert due in today (so they must not have 'lost' mine).
My cert will be there tomorrow - damn GP doesn't work on a bank holiday Monday which is my usual cert day ... :P

LegacyUser · 30-10-2018 04:05PM

Does anyone know what the Cwo requires when u go into them for payment?

nicrob08 · 30-10-2018 04:08PM

Bannasidhe wrote: »

Mick Barry's office got back to me, apparently I should get a payment in the next 2/3 working days (we'll wait and see if that happens eh...!) and that I have a cert due in today (so they must not have 'lost' mine).
My cert will be there tomorrow - damn GP doesn't work on a bank holiday Monday which is my usual cert day ... :P

Still no answer to what the problems are though! You will be paid as youve managed to make contact and get the issue raised. This happened me a few weeks ago. But rest assured come next week will be back to square 1 again!

Bannasidhe · 30-10-2018 04:12PM

nicrob08 wrote: »

Still no answer to what the problems are though! You will be paid as youve managed to make contact and get the issue raised. This happened me a few weeks ago. But rest assured come next week will be back to square 1 again!

That's what I said to Catherine in Mick's office.
It's not just the delay in getting payment.
It's the erratic payments combined with the lack of engagement.

Fagashlil · 30-10-2018 05:19PM

banie01 wrote: »

I got a payment of 198 this morning but still awaiting the payment due on 15/10.

I'm the exact same, missing the 15. Let's see how long it will take to get this weeks payment

30-10-2018 05:37PM

I’m not on illness benefit but I have been reading this thread for the last few weeks. I feel so sorry for you guys.

Once you eventually get all sorted and I really hope it’s sooner rather than later, I would suggest you start looking at data breach and any action you may take. A few weeks ago you were told that your certs were wiped off the system. Where are the hard copies? If they were asking you to send duplicates in rather than rescanning the originals that they already have, were they not admitting that they had lost your data? Important data which contains information regarding your health.

It’s food for thought anyhow. Perhaps a group of you might get together to start an action against them. Maybe if you were able to get a solicitor onboard now it might scare them into sorting it out immediately. I really hope this gets sorted soon.

nicrob08 · 30-10-2018 05:40PM

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

I’m not on illness benefit but I have been reading this thread for the last few weeks. I feel so sorry for you guys.

Once you eventually get all sorted and I really hope it’s sooner rather than later, I would suggest you start looking at data breach and any action you may take. A few weeks ago you were told that your certs were wiped off the system. Where are the hard copies? If they were asking you to send duplicates in rather than rescanning the originals that they already have, were they not admitting that they had lost your data? Important data which contains information regarding your health.

It’s food for thought anyone. Perhaps a group of you might get together to start an action against them. Maybe if you were able to get a solicitor onboard now it might scare them into sorting it out immediately. I really hope this gets sorted soon.

I was wondering in all of this somewhere there had to be a breach. Certs containing personal information going missing from dedicated boxes?!?! Data being wiped from the system.

30-10-2018 06:01PM

nicrob08 wrote: »

I was wondering in all of this somewhere there had to be a breach. Certs containing personal information going missing from dedicated boxes?!?! Data being wiped from the system.

I’m just an outsider looking in and have no legal background either but reading a few pages back and it made no sense.

Hypothetical

I’m an admin and have 100 pages to copy.
I copy the pages but somehow the copies do not transfer to the system.

Do I
A) sigh and grab the original 100 pages and start again?

ring round one hundred people as they had given me a page each and say the scanner played up and I need them to physically give me their page again?
C) (which happened to yous) wait for 100 people to get in contact and then tell the about the scanner/system wipe and tell them to send them again?

B & C are ludicrous. If it was the system rather than a physical sheet of paper that caused the issue, where’s the physical piece of paper?

We’re you told about the wiped system in writing or verbally?

FloatingVoter · 30-10-2018 06:24PM

Callymosh wrote: »

I also got a text saying I was certified until the 2nd, which would explain why it’s short a day. Are they paying for the week ahead now instead of the previous week?

Yeah...that was part of the changeover from August on. You go down the doctor tomorrow and get a cert to cover you from Friday 2nd Nov to Thursday 8th Nov. Assuming you post it tomorrow to IB - they have it in time for the 2nd to issue your €198. That is the theory.

Vanishing certs, missing arrears, phantom payments and jammed phone lines ...that's the reality as we enter month 4.

Flippyfloppy · 30-10-2018 06:58PM

For me this is definitely time to complain to the ombudsman.

Noolzy · 30-10-2018 07:02PM

This is getting to be a huge problem now. I've emailed a few times and called. It's basically abuse to vulnerable people in ireland. I am so sick of the system.
At least some of you have gotten some response in the form of a text etc or even miraculously managed to get through on the phone. I have received nothing apart from the generic letter that was sent to everyone.
The media is very quiet about the issues too. I wonder how much they're being paid to keep quiet!
Sorry...rant over

PoolBall · 30-10-2018 07:20PM

I am at my wit's end. I was diagnosed with a serious illness early in the summer, which in itself is very stressful. I was receiving payment until a few weeks ago, then they just stopped. I can't get through on the phone and my emails go unanswered. I have no idea what is going on, or what to do next. ☹️

swpb · 30-10-2018 07:39PM

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

For me this is definitely time to complain to the ombudsman.

How do we go about doing that

wonski · 30-10-2018 07:50PM

swpb wrote: »

How do we go about doing that

First of all make an official complain. You can do it online. Only after this is unsuccessful you should go to ombudsman.

The link has been posted earlier and I hope all did just that rather than just venting the frustration.

I complained last week, got a confirmation email today. This email outlines the deadline for their response (15 days) and that if this is not sorted details of further steps.

If you deal with that sort of thing you need to do it by the book, however frustrating it can be.

Going to the radio or newspaper they will ask you what steps have you taken, or at least they should. If you just skip one or two steps of official complaints procedure, which is clearly outlined on the social welfare website, they might not entertain you at all.

We don't know how many people were affected and to what extent.

Just focus on your own case first is my suggestion.

mags4k · 30-10-2018 07:51PM

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

For me this is definitely time to complain to the ombudsman.

I sent an official complaint to the SW last week, which states you will receive an acknowledgment within 3 working days (that passed as of this evening with no reply). From reading the process online, they’re allowed 15 days to investigate. If you’re not satisfied with their response you can then go to the ombudsman. It’s just another tactic to drag it out.

wonski · 30-10-2018 07:59PM

mags4k wrote: »

I sent an official complaint to the SW last week, which states you will receive an acknowledgment within 3 working days (that passed as of this evening with no reply). From reading the process online, they’re allowed 15 days to investigate. If you’re not satisfied with their response you can then go to the ombudsman. It’s just another tactic to drag it out.

It is not a tactic, be it financial issue or social welfare issue or any other, the process needs to be followed otherwise ombudsman would be flogged with complaints from angry people at an unmanageable level.

Bank Holiday weekend could have slowed things down, keep checking your email, junk email etc and it might appear there soon.

When did you send the complaint? Time of the day matters, too.

splinter65 · 30-10-2018 08:44PM

I posted the link to the complaints procedure a few pages back. I really think if you are in any way well you should start this now. As many as possible. Write or email so that you have a record of having followed the procedure. The Ombudsman only deals with customers who have exhausted the complaints procedure but the Ombudsman does deal with the cases.
Here’s a copy of the latest edition. It’s very interesting and very easy to read.

https://www.ombudsman.ie/publications/ombudsmans-casebook/THE-OMBUDSMANS-CASEBOOK-August-2018.pdf

mags4k · 30-10-2018 08:57PM

wonski wrote: »

It is not a tactic, be it financial issue or social welfare issue or any other, the process needs to be followed otherwise ombudsman would be flogged with complaints from angry people at an unmanageable level.

Bank Holiday weekend could have slowed things down, keep checking your email, junk email etc and it might appear there soon.

When did you send the complaint? Time of the day matters, too.

I sent it Wednesday afternoon and so didn’t even allow that as a working day in the estimation. I’ve checked spam etc, nothing there.

I completely understand that, I think the ignorance is the most irritating to be honest. I’ve sent numerous emails and called for hours over the past few weeks and have never received a reply.

Flippyfloppy · 30-10-2018 10:17PM

Here is where we should complain. I’m literally too ill to keep chasing up Ilines benefit

https://www.ombudsman.ie/publications/information-leaflets/Department-of-Social-and-Family-Affairs-and-the-Social-Welfare-Appeals-Office-(1).pdf

banie01 · 30-10-2018 10:21PM

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

Here is where we should complain. I’m literally too ill to keep chasing up Ilines benefit

https://www.ombudsman.ie/publications/information-leaflets/Department-of-Social-and-Family-Affairs-and-the-Social-Welfare-Appeals-Office-(1).pdf

The ombudsman won't action a complaint until the complaint process laid out by the Department has been exhausted.
The process needs to be followed and can't be fast forwarded unfortunately.

Flippyfloppy · 30-10-2018 10:27PM

banie01 wrote: »

The ombudsman won't action a complaint until the complaint process laid out by the Department has been exhausted.
The process needs to be followed and can't be fast forwarded unfortunately.

Do you have any info on the complaint procedure? I sent a letter a couple of weeks ago with no response...

splinter65 · 31-10-2018 12:45AM

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

Do you have any info on the complaint procedure? I sent a letter a couple of weeks ago with no response...

http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/How-to-Make-a-Comment-or-Complaint-to-the-Department.aspx#4

Flippyfloppy · 31-10-2018 07:55AM

splinter65 wrote: »

http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/How-to-Make-a-Comment-or-Complaint-to-the-Department.aspx#4

So in my case I didn’t get an acknowledgement even. My next step is to have it reviewed by ‘another officer’

nicrob08 · 31-10-2018 09:13AM

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

So in my case I didn’t get an acknowledgement even. My next step is to have it reviewed by ‘another officer’

Is the complaint to be made under the general "get in touch" form?

Illness benefit problems since new form

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