Welfare office not answering phones

swapple

Just wondering have any of the social welfare offices changed their contact numbers recently? Have been trying to get in touch with the office on Navan road (D7) since Monday and no-one ever answers the number that I'm calling!

I don't have time to go into the office. Is post my only option? It's ridiculous that there's no way of contacting them otherwise. Is anyone else having this problem with this particular office or any other welfare offices?

stargazer 68

Sorry Op seems to be a standard lately. I ended up putting in a written complaint to the Head Office regarding offices not answering their phones or picking up the phone and putting it back down again.

D1stant

SW dont do phones

Same thing in Limerick. Black hole. You have to go in. Grease up and bend over

swapple

Oh I get it, not answering phones means you have to either go in or post, dragging the process out even longer as tradition dictates!

Dovies wrote: »

Sorry Op seems to be a standard lately. I ended up putting in a written complaint to the Head Office regarding offices not answering their phones or picking up the phone and putting it back down again.

Will do the same. F*cking joke.

ABajaninCork

Used to be the case in Cork, but they seem to have got much better lately. Calls seem to go through an operator, who will then put you through. Still takes the best part of 10 mins before they deign to answer.

DeltaWhite

Waste of time ringing them OP.

When I got a job after a period of unemployment I had to take time off from my new job, in my first week there, to go down to the SW office and tell them to stop giving me benefits as I didnt need it anymore. Ridiculous!

It's no wonder a majority of people still claim after they gain employment, how are they supposed to sort it out when the phones are left there unattended..

stargazer 68

DeltaWhite wrote: »

Waste of time ringing them OP.

It's no wonder a majority of people still claim after they gain employment, how are they supposed to sort it out when the phones are left there unattended..

Thing is they aren't unattended. If you go into my local office there are a couple of counters open with people dealing with the queue etc. There are about 4 or 5 other people at desks behind the counters. Phones are ringing and just being ignored. If I did that in my job I would be hauled up!

Tom.D.BJJ

In fairness, it not like the people in the SW office are sitting there doing nothing. They are extremely busy throughout the day. The problem isnt with the staff, it's that they appear to be understaffed to deal with the fllod of queries they receive.

ABajaninCork

DeltaWhite wrote: »

Waste of time ringing them OP.

When I got a job after a period of unemployment I had to take time off from my new job, in my first week there, to go down to the SW office and tell them to stop giving me benefits as I didnt need it anymore. Ridiculous!

It's no wonder a majority of people still claim after they gain employment, how are they supposed to sort it out when the phones are left there unattended..

Why didn't you sign off online? . They stop the benefits straight away then...

stargazer 68

Tom.D.BJJ wrote: »

In fairness, it not like the people in the SW office are sitting there doing nothing. They are extremely busy throughout the day. The problem isnt with the staff, it's that they appear to be understaffed to deal with the fllod of queries they receive.

No one said they were doing nothing. I know the amount of paperwork etc that comes into the offices every day. However, answering the phone is part of the job and should be a priority - thats what I was always told anyway. A letter can wait 5 minutes however a person on the end of the phone shouldn't have to - just makes them more annoyed!

ABajaninCork

OP - if you know who deals with you at the Welfare Office, you might be better off sending them an e-mail. That's what I do now, as they consistently lose paperwork, and will stop the claim at the first opportunity if you don't keep at them.

Syntax is (name)@Welfare.ie. If you can, get delivered and read receipts too. They tried to tell me I hadn't sent payslips once. I took great pleasure in telling them, they were sent, told them the date/time the mail was sent and what time it was read too.

Funny thing was, the line went quiet. My money was restored. And they never came back at me again!

Tom.D.BJJ

Dovies wrote: »

No one said they were doing nothing. I know the amount of paperwork etc that comes into the offices every day. However, answering the phone is part of the job and should be a priority - thats what I was always told anyway. A letter can wait 5 minutes however a person on the end of the phone shouldn't have to - just makes them more annoyed!

You dont know if they have to answer phones as a priority.

The second part is horse**** btw. If you put down work every time a phone rings, you would get nothing done. Self entitled much?

If there were staff explicity there to answer phone, then this wouldnt be a problem.

efb

swapple wrote: »

Just wondering have any of the social welfare offices changed their contact numbers recently? Have been trying to get in touch with the office on Navan road (D7) since Monday and no-one ever answers the number that I'm calling!

I don't have time to go into the office. Is post my only option? It's ridiculous that there's no way of contacting them otherwise. Is anyone else having this problem with this particular office or any other welfare offices?

If your signing off you can't do it online- if your signing on you surely have time?

ABajaninCork

efb wrote: »

If your signing off you can't do it online- if your signing on you surely have time?

Oh yes, you can!!!

DeltaWhite

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Why didn't you sign off online? . They stop the benefits straight away then...

It was about 5 years ago and I wasnt aware of the online option! At least I know now for the future (hopefully it wont come to that)