# Can't collect my first job seekers payment



## ourniamh (25 Oct 2008)

Hi all

I will be unable to collect my first jobseekers payment in dublin as i am in belfast on the day i was supposed to collect it. will they go mad if i ring them to postpone it until the following wednesday? I don't want to jeopardize getting the payments at all as it's taken 2 months to come this far!

Also they say on the letter to bring a temporary yellow sign on card which i don't have?

Any advice or previous experience on this is much appreciated. thanks


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## gipimann (25 Oct 2008)

I presume you're collecting payment in the post office?

You have a few days from the payment date to collect the payment - if your usual payment day is Wednesday, then you have until close of business on the following Tuesday to collect it, after which time it is returned by An Post to DSFA.

If you don't collect it, it may lead to a suspension of your claim while DSFA investigate why it wasn't collected.

Do you have a Social Services Swipe Card (credit card type, which has your PPSN on it)?   You must have one of those in order to collect payments from the post office - if the local office ordered one for you when you signed on, they should have given you a temporary yellow paper card to use until the swipe card was delivered.   If you haven't got either, contact the local office where you signed on as soon as possible.   The post office can't pay out without one or other.


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## paulacadwell (25 Oct 2008)

you'll need to bring your passport or birth cert to your local office to get a yellow card. also most times your payment is there the day before.


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## ourniamh (25 Oct 2008)

no they haven't given me the yellow thing yet which is quite odd. i'll check the post monday. on the sheet they sent out to me it say i have 3 days to collect it. does that mean i'll have until fri/mon? either way i can't collect it until tuesday.


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## paulacadwell (25 Oct 2008)

ya have to go up them and tell them you've no swipe card an no yellow card and they'll give it to u once u have id with u


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## ourniamh (26 Oct 2008)

hi all. thanks for your replies. just to clarify. do i go to my local post office or SW office to get the temporary yellow card?


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## Swallows (26 Oct 2008)

Hi ourniamh, are you in Belfast looking for work? I only ask ( and I'm not being funny ) because if you are claiming unemployment you are supposed to be available for work! I found out to my cost when I had to spend a day in hospital and should have notified them that I wasn't available for work on that day.Pick up your payment *on the* *day* its supposed to be picked up.


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## bond-007 (26 Oct 2008)

I think it is a very unfair system on people who are genuinely not available to attend a post office due to activities in connection with looking for work.


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## ourniamh (27 Oct 2008)

yes i am in belfast looking for work


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## gipimann (27 Oct 2008)

ourniamh said:


> hi all. thanks for your replies. just to clarify. do i go to my local post office or SW office to get the temporary yellow card?


 
Call to your local SW office where you signed on.


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## Welfarite (28 Oct 2008)

bond-007 said:


> I think it is a very unfair system on people who are genuinely not available to attend a post office due to activities in connection with looking for work.


 
What is unfair? The payment is availabale at the nominated PO for three days. SW will happily rearrange for the issue of the payment if they know in advance that a person is away looking for work and won't be able to collect payment. They even allow two weeks holidays!


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## bond-007 (28 Oct 2008)

If is unfair if a post office is hard to reach. Bank transfer is a better option.


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## nomorejob (1 Dec 2008)

Welfarite said:


> The payment is availabale at the nominated PO for three days.


 
Gipimann's post implies 4 days. 
Who is correct?


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## g1g (1 Dec 2008)

you can apply for a "holiday break" for max 2 weeks per year where the PO will hold on to your payment until the following week i.e. you get 2 weeks at once.


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## shirley_d (24 Dec 2008)

Bank transfer leave the system open to fraud, I'd suffer the inconvience to make sure only those who really need it get it.


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## bond-007 (24 Dec 2008)

Don't work that way anymore. Blame those foreigners and cheap Ryanair flights for that.


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## Welfarite (24 Dec 2008)

jaybird said:


> It really does. I know of 3 people who have had to sign on in the last month and all are paid via bank transfer.


 
Are you talking about EFT into bank accounts? If so, Bond-007 is correct, this option was withdrawn about 6 months ago following the furore of non-Irish nationals who had returned home 'flying in' every four weeks to 'sign on'. You friends must have met a sympatethic person who knew they were kosher in that regard! 

Also, fair play to them for gettign apayment through within 1 month ...the normal waiting period is averaging at 3 months now. Perhaps they were just re-opening recent claims and the EFT option was still in place from before the ruling?


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## Welfarite (30 Dec 2008)

jaybird said:


> 3months waiting period? Ouch! Is that just Dublin, or countrywide?


 
Anywhere in the commute belt! Small offices such as Athy and Newbridge have been inundated with claims .... anywhere that houses have shot up in the past ten years, occupied by people who worked in Dublin. But all offices are struggling with workloads. The govt. promised 113 more posts in offices but very few of these have been filled yet. They're trying to get people to transfer from other departments rather than take on new recruits. Slow process. It's expected to get far worse in Jan ...


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