Social welfare means review

horseman34

Hi I'm on carers allowance for several years for a parent and the the social welfare folks want to do a means review, serious question question how thoroughly do they go through the bank statements, I have only a few hundred in savings but I'm just worried they will be asking why I'm buying x or y?

endofrainbow

It's just a random review to assess whether or not your circumstances have changed. I think it's 6 months of statements, you COULD redact your purchases but I wouldn't recommend doing that as it will only delay the process.

A few hundred won't affect your eligibility.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/carers/carers_allowance.html#l8fc49

horseman34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120284423#Comment_120284423

THANKS, I don't really have no problem with them seeing what I spend the money on, I'd prefer they didn't see it as there's always someone who might be saying do you not something better to be doing with it

endofrainbow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120284584#Comment_120284584

That's not their job - their remit is to ensure you still mean the means assessment.

They don't care and are not interested in what you spend your money on.

They are checking your income and also checking for undeclared income.

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058285751/social-welfare-means-review

If there’s regular unexplained weekly amounts coming and going from your account then they will want to know the source or the destination of those monies.

Say your other siblings were giving you €100 per week to help you out and were transferring that money from one of their accounts to your account. Well that would be considered income.

horseman34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120285404#Comment_120285404

Sounds like I'll have some explaining to do, I had the nct in December and had ask for almost €2000 as the handbrake and a caliper needed to be done

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120289505#Comment_120289505

If in a short period of time, amounts adding up to, or one lump sum of 2000 went in then you will probably be asked to explain that but once you have evidence of paying the garage then it will be fine.

horseman34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120289513#Comment_120289513

Giving them invoices and receipts is no problem

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120289523#Comment_120289523

Don’t worry at all.

horseman34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120289541#Comment_120289541

My only concern is that they would stop the payment pending a review as I really can't afford to go on a prepaid electricity meter and I want to keep on top of the bills with the end of the moratorium on disconnections coming in Feb/march

endofrainbow

As a carer, it is HIGHLY unlikely you will be cut off from electricity. If you live with the parent you are caring for (you don't say), then one of you would be eligible for the household benefits package.

Try not to worry about it.

horseman34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120290123#Comment_120290123

Yeah I have the household benefit package as I'm living with mum, I'm probably just overthinking the whole thing, just I'm bricking it thinking they will dig in over something.

Heighway61

The payment should really be a pro-rata payment. As it is, if you earn €350 a week you are deemed to need assistance in providing care but if you earn €351 a week's you are not.

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120296393#Comment_120296393

This is not true. Carers allowance payment only starts to reduce when your weekly wage goes over the €350 mark. If you were earning say €400 per week you would still get €181 carers and so forth until your entitlement would end only if you were earning nearly €600 less PRSI union and superann.

Heighway61

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120297355#Comment_120297355

Thanks. Glad to be corrected.

Quitelife

Tell them your a member of the traveller community & they wont come near you !

Probably get you additional benefits!

horseman34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120297355#Comment_120297355

Well literally the only extra money I have is when I have to ask my family for money

glen123

Please don't worry about it. Reviews of claims are done regularly. They are mainly interested in what's coming in into your bank accounts.

Please make sure to provide all bank statements incl Revolut ones if you have one. Doesn't matter if the balance is 0 - they need to see it all otherwise it will delay the process. Once review is in progress and you have provided everything, your payments should continue until a review is complete and payments will get adjusted if your income exceeds Carer's Allowance means test limits. Review may take up to 3-4 months to complete so if you hear nothing for a while, it's normal.

One thing to note is that the social welfare inspector can show up on your doorstep without any prior warning and may want to go through your statements with you - this is also completely normal and nothing to be worried about. Try not to stress about it and good luck!

endofrainbow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120297998#Comment_120297998

Please keep a detailed record of this - for your own benefit.

brokenbad

A little off topic but the thing which bugs me about the whole welfare system is how its prone to abuse from the likes of the long term unemployed and people with "fake" disabilities who have no intention of ever working - why isn't the system hounding the likes of these people instead of genuine people as per the OP's case?

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120302287#Comment_120302287

In every single society in the world since the start of time there are a certain section who are unemployable, for many different reasons.

Not through illness or disability but just not cut out for a days work.

They have to be looked after. The problem we have now here and in the UK is two fold. First of all, what used to be quite a small % of our population is growing all the time, alarmingly. Secondly the amount of help (money) they receive is also ballooning out of all control. The state is under severe pressure from the opposition constantly to keep increasing the payments. It’s quite alarming really.

Quitelife

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120303353#Comment_120303353

Talking to a person with a deep knowledge of welfare system - the most difficult & threatening long term unemployed are all put on disability a lot easier than the law abiding to keep them out of the core unemployed figures and make things look better than they really are.

The numbers on Disability is growing each year however as familys of never work mentality are joined by their large amounts off offspring & cousins.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120309404#Comment_120309404

Outrageous nonsense 😳 you clearly are not aware there are very experienced posters on this forum who have insight into how the welfare system works, your friend is clearly living in a parallel universe.

Notwithstanding your absurd post, DA is perhaps the most difficult payment to be approved for. There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever DSP put long term unemployed on a payment they would neither qualify for or be entitled to, a payment that requires substantial medical evidence and reports.

Your post is by far the most absurd nonsense I've seen on this site in 12 years 🙄

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120309404#Comment_120309404

nobody is “put” on Disability Allowance. Applicants have to complete an application process. It’s actually very difficult to get.

hawthorne

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120309404#Comment_120309404

LOL a "funny" post- to put it mildly. So you have a deep throat in the DoSP.

Tell us- what is a "difficult and threatening unemployed"?

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120309909#Comment_120309909

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2023/01/11/man-jailed-for-rural-burglary-gets-disability-benefit-for-lactose-intolerance-court-told/

As usual your modus operandi is to bully people off the thread exclaiming expertise and longevity.

Would you not have a look at your posting behaviour?

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120311791#Comment_120311791

Dear lord, keep digging. You've clearly not checked my posting history which I drastically reduced over the past year because of ill informed folks like you posting absolute nonsense in a pathetic attempt to bait a reaction.

You then link to an article about a burglar who happens to be on DA as if to justify your bile and absurd earlier post. DA is not just awarded to folks with physical Disibilities.

You then attempt to suggest I'm a bully because I dared critised your viterol , again utter claptrap. I stand over my posting history and will call out nonsense and misinformation when I see it.

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120311791#Comment_120311791

What was your objective in posting the Irish Times article?

If you have spotted a post on this thread or any thread where someone has given wrong information or advice then you should highlight that post and give a link to the correct information or advice.

What incorrect information or advice has Dempo given on this thread or any thread they have contributed to?

standardg60

You've both said that the granting of DA was extremely difficult to obtain yet a judge no less described someone receiving it as extraordinary and the less said about it the better.

I didn't question anything about advice Dempo has given, what i did question was the shouty down attitude they have for posters who don't agree with them as clearly advertised above by their reply to me.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120315268#Comment_120315268

You posted factually incorrect assertains, even made up a new cohort of "Threatening Unemployed" then accused me of trying to Bully you off the Thread when I called out the nonsense you posted, you followed up with an Article as if to justify what you posted. Whilst many will agree with the Judges comments, neither he, I or you know why this individual was awarded DA, which likely was because of none physical issues.

Regardless of that case you appear to have a very low opinion of those on DA, which next to invalidity pension, is extremely difficult to get, Mental health challenges even more difficult. DA requires mountains of paper work, medical reports, the support of a GP and 90% of applications declined on 1st attempt, don't take my word for it, look at numerous threads on the Topic.

You are perfectly entitled to your opinions & post what you like, I along with others are entitled to call out factually incorrect, information, I've also made mistakes and apologised as I'm no expert, but like many others was newly introduced to the welfare system during the Pandemic, shared what I've learned and relied on a number of far more experienced folks on this forum when I'm unsure or indeed made an error.

I'll say no more on this matter, always happy to apologise if I'm wrong but folks should try to understand people's personal circumstances are not always a bed of roses.