Government Benefits Megathread

aisleseat

michellie wrote: »

I was self isolating from the 14th to 28th while waiting for Covid testing and results. Work closed then on the 29th after leo' lockdown speech.

They lost part of my form, they asked for an Ecert from my doctor who weren't happy with being asked again, they have enough to do as it is

Ah ok, so unfortunately yes, 203 for the 2 weeks sick and then you should be getting the 350 from the 29th onwards as your work was closed.

Did you apply for the Covid-19 pandemic payment from the 29th - I think they are processing those a lot quicker.
Best of luck with getting it sorted

Flibble

Flibble wrote: »

How well do you get on with this client? Presumably you have a good relationship with them... Could you have a chat with them telling them you'll continue doing the work, but they stop paying you- you'll invoice them retrospectively when this is all over?

I get where you're coming from, but would be a bit wary as it's bending the rules really. I don't want something like that catching up with me.

I honestly thought this kind of situation would be addressed after the initial announcement, but no, it's seems we're being left with nothing.

michellie

aisleseat wrote: »

Ah ok, so unfortunately yes, 203 for the 2 weeks sick and then you should be getting the 350 from the 29th onwards as your work was closed.

Did you apply for the Covid-19 pandemic payment from the 29th - I think they are processing those a lot quicker.
Best of luck with getting it sorted

Thank you no,I don't need to apply for the pandemic payment, work are kindly paying us the 70% which actually works out less than then €350 for me because I work part time, I'll be broke if this keeps up for long haha

Edit: the lovely lady on the welfare phone line called me back, they have sorted my Covid illness benefit and she submitted it so I should have it in my account Friday.

splinter65

Flying Fox wrote: »

I get where you're coming from, but would be a bit wary as it's bending the rules really. I don't want something like that catching up with me.

I honestly thought this kind of situation would be addressed after the initial announcement, but no, it's seems we're being left with nothing.

Your not being left with nothing. This is the scheme open to you.

https://www.gov.ie/en/service/c20e1b-short-time-work-support/

splinter65

splinter65 wrote: »

Your not being left with nothing. This is the scheme open to you.

https://www.gov.ie/en/service/c20e1b-short-time-work-support/

Is it? My understanding is that this is a form of Jobseeker's Benefit where you fill in a form (Xs and Os) which is verified by the employer, confirming the days worked. From that link:

"Employees must work 3 days per week or less to qualify, having previously been employed on a full time basis."

I'm self employed and intending to get back to normal once the crisis is over. The above text sounds like the scheme is for full time employees whose hours have been reduced.

I'm not trying to be awkward here, I'm genuinely trying to find out what scheme (if any) covers me.

ConorSammon

Anyone apply for the normal dole/Jobseeker benefit/allowance for the first time lately?

Is it possible to complete the whole process online as well as receiving payments etc. I dont want to have to visit post office.

And can you still do it without a public service card?

Sexual Chocolate

Was instructed to self isolate by my doctor on the 19th of March for two weeks. Applied for illness benefit and last week received 203 euro and 147 there last weekend. Got a letter in the door yesterday saying I'd be getting 203 euro but illness benefit isn't payable for first 6 days.

Just wondering is this also the case with covid 19 illness benefit or am I still due another 350 for my second week of isolation?

michellie

Sexual Chocolate wrote: »

Was instructed to self isolate by my doctor on the 19th of March for two weeks. Applied for illness benefit and last week received 203 euro and 147 there last weekend. Got a letter in the door yesterday saying I'd be getting 203 euro but illness benefit isn't payable for first 6 days.

Just wondering is this also the case with covid 19 illness benefit or am I still due another 350 for my second week of isolation?

Same happened me, got the same letter as you yesterday. I too was self isolating from the 14th March.

I don't know what they did wrong but I rang up yesterday and spent a half hour on hold and got through. She asked me to email my cert and get my doctor to send a E-cert. I did that and the girl I was talking to phoned me yesterday evening saying the were sending the full amount and I should have it Friday.

splinter65

Flying Fox wrote: »

Is it? My understanding is that this is a form of Jobseeker's Benefit where you fill in a form (Xs and Os) which is verified by the employer, confirming the days worked. From that link:

"Employees must work 3 days per week or less to qualify, having previously been employed on a full time basis."

I'm self employed and intending to get back to normal once the crisis is over. The above text sounds like the scheme is for full time employees whose hours have been reduced.

I'm not trying to be awkward here, I'm genuinely trying to find out what scheme (if any) covers me.

Nowhere in the application form is there any mention of Xs and Os. That is an entirely different set of circumstances to yours.
If you have been self employed and now find yourself working much reduced hours you simply fill in the form and submit it it your local social welfare office and let them process it.
I know people who aren’t used to applying for benefits will find this a new experience and quite confusing. Before ever this crisis occurred the Dept decided that self employed people should be able to avail of the “benefit” of their PRSI if they needed to and it was decided that this is the form they should fill.
You can fill it and see if you are awarded a payment or not but there is no other way of applying to be honest.
I don’t think you’re being awkward but I do think that you’re over thinking the whole thing. Best of luck.

Helgagirl

This is an ongoing saga at this stage. Husband self isolated on doctor's instructions on 18th March,2020 (he actually had two different doctors ring him back, first doctor said he thought he should isolate and would get back to him, and then the second doctor rang him and told him to self isolate) I posted form for enhanced illness benefit on 21st March. Received a letter last week dated 27th March, saying he was certified from 18th to 24th, and that he wouldn't be eligible for first 6 days and he needed a second cert from 25th. I rang last week to find out what the situation was, and I was told it was just an error, and that everything was sorted and he would receive full payment in a couple of days.

This week I was checking everyday to see if he received a payment. Nothing in his bank, so today I rang illness benefit crowd again and was told this time that there was no certs sent in by doctor at all, and that he would need to get onto the doctor. (despite letter from them saying he was certified from 18th to 23rd March) Also he was tested for cv-19 on 23rd March and as he is still waiting for his results he can't go back to work till he receives them, so girl from illness benefit says he will have to get two certs from the doctor, and make one claim for first two weeks, sign off on that one and then make a second claim for the next two weeks. (no criticism about girl in illness benefit, she was very helpful and nice to deal with) I rang his doctor and it took a while to get through, but eventually when I did I gave the receptionist all the details and she said she would post out the certs, we are not allowed go to collect them. Then his doctor rang him back asking what forms he was looking for, and looking for dates etc. even though I had given all the information to the receptionist. (unfortunately hubby was out with the dogs for a walk by then and he's not great on remembering dates etc. and doctor asked should he be out! He has done the two weeks isolation and was feeling well today) At this stage I have no faith in the doctor at all as I thought the protocol was that the doctor was meant to do a medical cert if they told the person to self isolate. We will just have to wait now to see what is sent out in the post, hopefully it will be what we need. We are lucky we have some money in the bank to keep us going, but it won't last forever, and I feel sorry for anyone else who may be in this situation and have no back up money to rely on. I know life isn't perfect and everyone is up to their eyes, but we just seem to have run into a few setbacks that every time I thought were sorted out they weren't. Just posting in case anyone else having a problem waiting for payments to advice them to maybe ring and confirm things, and don't do what I did and let it go for a few days while I was waiting to see if payment came through, because we now have to wait till probably next week for certs to come to us in post, and then probably have to post them on, if I can't send them by email (which can be a bit hit and miss for me) and maybe won't be in time for payment next week either.

splinter65

Helga illness benefit has been in a total mess now for 2 years in August since they changed over to new software. It’s ridiculous and inexcusable and not the fault of the staff.Heads should have rolled long ago. There’s a long thread on here about the whole thing. This is just more complications on top of that.
Bottom line is if you have no or very little income and little savings then you can contact your local CWO at your local SW office but there’s nothing else apart from that.

Helgagirl

Thanks Splinter65 just wanted to let people who maybe were waiting for payments that it might be best if they checked and not just wait like we had done because I had rung last week and was told everything with the claim was fine, to find out today it hadn't been processed because of the doctor. I have no complaint with the people working in the benefit section as I understand they can only work with the system they are given. and increased work load for them at the moment. We have had other problems with this same doctor before which I won't go into here, maybe I am wrong, but I thought the system was that the doctor looked after the medical certs once they advised self isolation, and last week my husband tried over 40 times to ring the doctors and all he could get was a recorded message giving a number for emergencies, which this obviously wasn't and then we had to wait over the weekend till this week to see if payment came before doing anymore about it.

doomshine

Hi,
I'm a full time ("essential") worker. On Monday I have been certified ill with covid symptoms since Friday, 03/04. Couldn't apply for illness benefit as my doc was slagging off with sending the cert through the post (I still didn't get it that way). Finally my partner got a duplicate for me at doctor's office this afternoon. Wahey.

So... I just (Thursday evening) applied online for the Covid-19 Illness Benefit, emailed them the scan of the cert and will be posting it tomorrow morning. How long does it take for them to process the claim nowadays? I'm the main breadwinner of the household, my partner only gets ~E130 disability so... I'd be very grateful to know an estimate. Even a very rough one.

Thanks and sorry if it's been asked before, tried browsing the thread but most posts are about the unemployment payment.

Ihavetheaids

Hi everyone, Long time lurker first time poster , I’m a bit of an idiot so please excuse my awful spelling and grammar. I was let go from my job on the 23rd Of last month due to the construction industry not being essential and I applied for the payment of 350 through the dsp ,
I got paid Tuesday and that was fine but today I got an email saying my application was rejected due to still being employed. I don’t know what to do here i rang the dsp and they told me to apply again I don’t really understand how I can be paid and then be told I have no entitlement , can someone maybe shed light on this for me please.

Beasty

Threads merged

Saz2020

Ihavetheaids wrote: »

Hi everyone, Long time lurker first time poster , I’m a bit of an idiot so please excuse my awful spelling and grammar. I was let go from my job on the 23rd Of last month due to the construction industry not being essential and I applied for the payment of 350 through the dsp ,
I got paid Tuesday and that was fine but today I got an email saying my application was rejected due to still being employed. I don’t know what to do here i rang the dsp and they told me to apply again I don’t really understand how I can be paid and then be told I have no entitlement , can someone maybe shed light on this for me please.

Hi there, same thing happened to me last week.i had gotten the 350 on tuesday and then the email that you got on thursday. i decided to wait and see what wud happen this tuesday as i didn't want to go threw the same thing again. I got paid this tuesday. seems i got the email by mistake. hope this is the case for you too

Ihavetheaids

Saz2020 wrote: »

Hi there, same thing happened to me last week.i had gotten the 350 on tuesday and then the email that you got on thursday. i decided to wait and see what wud happen this tuesday as i didn't want to go threw the same thing again. I got paid this tuesday. seems i got the email by mistake. hope this is the case for you too

I really hope so too , it’s a pain re applying again thanks for the reply

kerryjack

Just got another 350 there got 350 monday night what's going on.

PTH2009

kerryjack wrote: »

Just got another 350 there got 350 monday night what's going on.

Didn't get anything myself but possibly to do with the weekend being a bank holiday weekend and you're getting the money for next week

md323

kerryjack wrote: »

Just got another 350 there got 350 monday night what's going on.

Same as you, im with Ulster bank

hynesie08

md323 wrote: »

Same as you, im with Ulster bank

Me too, it's to do with Easter, if you were on jsa, you'd be paid tomorrow, so money is going into accounts now.

GreenGrass2019

Saz2020 wrote: »

Hi there, same thing happened to me last week.i had gotten the 350 on tuesday and then the email that you got on thursday. i decided to wait and see what wud happen this tuesday as i didn't want to go threw the same thing again. I got paid this tuesday. seems i got the email by mistake. hope this is the case for you too

Hi - is this situation happening alot?
I got paid Tuesday gone (7th April first payment after applying week before) and just now I have received an email saying I will not be paid this coming Tuesday 14th April and to reapply if I believe this is incorrect!

Saz2020

GreenGrass2019 wrote: »

Hi - is this situation happening alot?
I got paid Tuesday gone (7th April first payment after applying week before) and just now I have received an email saying I will not be paid this coming Tuesday 14th April and to reapply if I believe this is incorrect!

Did the email say you would not be paid next Tuesday?
The email I got stated I was still in employment which i wasn't so i had guessed it was a mistake and waited to see.

GreenGrass2019

Saz2020 wrote: »

Hi there, same thing happened to me last week.i had gotten the 350 on tuesday and then the email that you got on thursday. i decided to wait and see what wud happen this tuesday as i didn't want to go threw the same thing again. I got paid this tuesday. seems i got the email by mistake. hope this is the case for you too

Saz2020 wrote: »

Did the email say you would not be paid next Tuesday?
The email I got stated I was still in employment which i wasn't so i had guessed it was a mistake and waited to see.

Hi
Yes it states I will not receive payment next Tuesday 14th April! It states I'm in receipt of income support, but I'm not on an income support that is excluded, I have had this confirmedconfused:. So the review is incorrect in this case. I'm just wondering am I experiencing the same scenario as yourself where they have sent this email in error?

Twee.

ConorSammon wrote: »

Anyone apply for the normal dole/Jobseeker benefit/allowance for the first time lately?

Is it possible to complete the whole process online as well as receiving payments etc. I dont want to have to visit post office.

And can you still do it without a public service card?

You can apply online, I did so last week but I can't recall if I had to enter my PSC number. My PSC definitely wasn't "verified" at that point anyway. Create an account on https://services.mywelfare.ie/ and see how far you get sure.

I emailed my local Intreo office about a query I had with online system and they were very helpful, rang me back within an hour. Offices are closed to public but they're still working.

Ihavetheaids

Saz2020 wrote: »

Did the email say you would not be paid next Tuesday?
The email I got stated I was still in employment which i wasn't so i had guessed it was a mistake and waited to see.

That’s exactly what mine said said I won’t be paid the 14th or thereafter

Saz2020

GreenGrass2019 wrote: »

Hi
Yes it states I will not receive payment next Tuesday 14th April! It states I'm in receipt of income support, but I'm not on an income support that is excluded, I have had this confirmedconfused:. So the review is incorrect in this case. I'm just wondering am I experiencing the same scenario as yourself where they have sent this email in error?

Ok the email i got never stated a date so maybe it's a different case. Maybe call them and i guess re apply again?

Saz2020

Ihavetheaids wrote: »

That’s exactly what mine said said I won’t be paid the 14th or thereafter

Ok the email i got never stated a date so maybe it's a different case. Maybe call them and i guess re apply again?

GreenGrass2019

Saz2020 wrote: »

Ok the email i got never stated a date so maybe it's a different case. Maybe call them and i guess re apply again?

The whole scenario makes no sense!

Ihavetheaids

Saz2020 wrote: »

Ok the email i got never stated a date so maybe it's a different case. Maybe call them and i guess re apply again?

I already have , it’s gonna be a long 2 weeks now with no money because the dsp can’t do their jobs.