Whiplashy wrote: » I’m on illness benefit long term so all my savings are wiped out. Today I had to go to the GP and go on medication for anxiety because of all this nonsense. I do suffer from anxiety but it’s been years since I’ve had to be medicated. So the illness benefit has actually added to my medical issues. I’m due to get bloods done, I can’t afford it. Next week I’ll be due to get my prescription filled, I can’t afford it. My emails have been ignored, calls go unanswered and tweets have had no reply. I give up.
nicrob08 wrote: » One independant TD sent this email he received after contacting the minister. Still no actual accountability and its clearly not a timing issue as people havent been paid in weeks. From: Regina Doherty/Members/Oireachtas To: Regina Doherty/Members/Oireachtas@HOUSES, Date: 18/10/2018 12:53 Subject: Update on Ilness Benefit Sent by: John Dollard Dear TD/Senator, UPDATE ON ILLNESS BENEFIT The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is currently experiencing difficulties arising from the changeover to a new IT system for illness benefit. The Department has recently moved from a payment in arrears system to a real-time payment system for illness Benefit. The new system has been introduced to speed up initial payments on new claims and provide a more efficient service to customers. The transition from the old to the new model has involved moving from a system of payment one week in arrears to payment during the current week for claims and certificates received during that week. Arising from this change a payment timing issue has arisen for a number of customers leading to higher than expected payments in some weeks followed by lower than expected payments being made in other weeks. The Department has assured customers that – where issues have arisen – that these are issues of timing and that all illness benefit customers will be paid the correct amount for the period of their certified illness. The Department has acknowledged that these issues have caused difficulties for some customers, leading to a large volume of calls to its helpline and long delays in responding to calls. In order to address this, the Department is taking urgent action to deploy additional staff to manage customer calls. If customers have any further queries with regard to their own payments, they can call 1890 928 400 or email illnessbenefit@welfare.ie and we will endeavour to reply as soon as possible. Finally any customers who have financial concerns arising from the move to the new system can apply to the Department’s Community Welfare Services to receive an interim payment. For further information, please see FAQs attached. (See attached file: Illness Benefit FAQs.doc) _____________________ Regina Doherty TD Minister for Employment & Social Protection Tel: 01-8257204 6A Millview, Fairyhouse Road, Ratoath, Co. Meath
Plascebo wrote: » Hi there, asking for a friend who is not on boards. They have been on long-term illness benefit and have to submit a 6-monthly illness benefit cert for a number of years now. Their payments have not been affected over the years but suddenly, with the new certificate in place (which they posted last Friday to the correct PO Box in a stamped envelope), this week they have been paid only €33. Anyone else on the 6-monthly cert had similar issues as the previous posts only refer to weekly/monthly certs? Thanks in advance.
hawthorne wrote: » Just checked my account. Raining money here now. Got a huge lump of money thrown at me- all arrears paid. I hope I will be ok every week now.
TattooedLady wrote: » I’ve been following this thread for a while now and just thought I would share what’s happening with me. I was signed off sick 10th October, sent my forms in and all and got a payment on 18th October of €33. A few days later received a letter saying I had been awarded the €198 a week. Continued to send my certs in every Wednesday to the address on the certs as my doctors receptionist told me the local office weren’t accepting them anymore. Since the €33 on the 18th October I have received absolutely nothing. I’m currently nearly 35 weeks pregnant and this is obviously something I could do without having to deal with but at least reading all these comments I know I’m not alone. Contacted a local TD yesterday and she said they have a direct email to the illness benefit section and she would see if she could get a move on with the claim or see what the hold up is. Unfortunately my husband works so I’ve been told I won’t be entitled to anything from the CWO and even if I did get something it would hold my claim up anyway!
mags4k wrote: » Finally got through to someone after holding for 59 minutes, he asked for my pps no. I gave him the first 2 numbers and the phone mysteriously got cut off. What is actually going on!
Stelmaka wrote: » Hi,my husband is on illness benefit since 27th September 2018. He had operation on his back 2 weeks ago. He has not received any sick payment yet after receiving letter about granting 198 per week. We try to call and contact by emal them and same no answers
Undercover wrote: » Apparently phone providers cut off calls after 60 mins automatically. That's what I've heard.
Bukowski69 wrote: » Sod this for a caper. Trying to take the time to write in a considered addition to this thread and keep being bloody well logged off for taking too long. So here's my contribution: I'm ****ing sick of this ****! I'm mad as Hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore! Scream it out of your windows, people: "I'm mad as Hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"
hawthorne wrote: » I understand your frustration. But please be civilized when you deal with DoSP workers:https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/civil-servants-get-abusive-calls-over-delayed-illness-benefit-payments-1.3610380 The fight is not only between the DoSP and the two doctors union, but also between the managment of the DoSP ( Regina Doherty and senior managment) and the lower clerks- means the "ordinary" desk workers dealing with the certs and customers. We are right in the middle of this mess.
Sunshine lollipop wrote: » How long were people waiting for release of payment when they received their letter to say illness benefit was awarded? I’ve been on illness less than a year, I was given an underpayment on the 12th October & nothing since. I was told my credits had stopped. I then received a letter yesterday telling me that I have been certified from that date to present & that my payment was due to stop early next year. I can’t get through to illness themselves & the staff in general enquiries are unhelpful & rude. They’ve caused me any amount of unnecessary stress. Not keen on spending hours on the phone to be cut off. It’s a phone bill I can’t afford to pay when I have no income.
TattooedLady wrote: » I received a letter dated 16th October saying I had been awarded it. Since the 16th I’ve received €33 and that’s it, nothing else since.
BohsCeltic wrote: » I don't think I got a letter to say it was awarded. The only letter i got from them was to say they acknowledge that there have been delays due to the system change.
Bannasidhe wrote: » A miracle has occurred and my full payment for this week was in my a/c this morning. I really would urge everyone experiencing problems to contact their TD. If enough TD's are getting complaints and demands that questions are asked in the Dail we might get some answers as well as people getting their money. When you write to your TD make sure you outline the exact issues you have been experiencing - nonpayment/missing certs/erratic payments/ partial payments/inability to contact IB etc, give them the evidence to blow the DSP's b.s. about it all being a "timing issue" out of the water. So far Mick Barry and Roisin Shorthall have said they will be raising questions. We need this to be cross party, FF/FG/SF etc ALL need to be demanding answers too - to make that happen we need to bombard them with complaints. I have to say I wasn't impressed with how Liveline handled it yesterday - although I didn't hear it all - the part I heard people were being very honest about the difficulties they are experiencing but all I was hearing from the presenter (not Joe, don't know his name, Phillip?) was platitudes and the DSP PR line.
