# social welfare officers unannounced visit : can they search house without permission?



## boltonlass

When social welfare officers visit unannounced are they allowed to search your home without your permission?

Thanks


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## ajapale

Moved from  Askaboutlaw to  Welfare and State Benefits.
Askaboutlaw is for discussions about law not covered elsewhere on AAM.


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## STEINER

boltonlass said:


> When social welfare oficers visit unannounced are they allowed to search your home without your permission?
> 
> Thanks


 
firstly you decide who you admit to your home.

no one can search your home without your permission, if you think about it, even gardai need a search warrant


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## bullworth

No they cannot but they might semi- aggressively try to enter as though you have no right to stop them while waving ID as though they are the FBI in a movie. I have heard of this happening from a reliable source. The source of my story was very ill on  a lot of valium for her nerves and didnt have the presence of mind to stand up for her rights. The inspector should have been sacked. In the end they had to admit there was no case against her. The inspector had been looking for her ex partner who she hadnt seen in years.


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## gipimann

This guideline from Dept of Social Protection website may be of interest to you.  It outlines the powers of Social Welfare Inspectors (they're not called Social Welfare Officers), and it clearly states that they cannot enter a private premises unless the person they are visiting consents.

_Inspectors do not have the power to enter private residences and only do so with the consent of the person they are visiting._

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/swi_powers.aspx


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## shesells

boltonlass said:


> When social welfare officers visit unannounced are they allowed to search your home without your permission?
> 
> Thanks



If you don't give permission then surely you are indicating that you have something to hide?


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## ClubMan

shesells said:


> If you don't give permission then surely you are indicating that you have something to hide?


Not necessarily - there are numerous legitimate reasons not to let strangers into your home.


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## bullworth

shesells said:


> If you don't give permission then surely you are indicating that you have something to hide?



Can you think of one thing they would be hidden in a home that's not the business of the guards instead ? Once permission to enter is given where does it stop ? Should the inspector be allowed into your bedroom and search through your underwear drawer for example ? How do you control their movements and get them to leave once they have entered ?
Or is this a case of ''oh look you have a clean respectable well maintained home with a flat screen tv''  how do you deserve any of that since you are the lowest of the low on welfare unlike me with my job guaranteed for life e.g a personal vendetta on behalf of one inspector ?


(not intended to be a rant but as a genuine query on behalf of citizens as I have no more problems with government employees currently or in the past than anyone else)


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## rosemartin

what would they be searching for,you have to have a reason and a search warrant issued under a legal authority to search a house.   i cant understant why social welfare do this.    i never heard of them searching a house.    they are more interested in people and what they are doing.


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## boltonlass

they wouldnt be searching me as i dont claim anything, but a pal has broken up with her husband and someone told her that they would be able to search her house for any signs that he is still living there. i didnt think this was true so just thught i would ask thanks for the replies


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## rosemartin

who ever told her that is speaking rubbish,   it would be a case of watching tosee if he was overnighting on a regular basis,  but eventhat is hard to prove


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## potnoodler

Pretty sure they arrange interviews in the claimants home , no search warrants though


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## sean.c

The inspector called around my place when we claimed Rent Allowance, I figured it was to verify the size of the apartment etc. etc.

I know people claiming lone parents allowance are always on the watch out for inspectors in case they spot the partner living with them.


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## Mel

sean.c said:


> I know people claiming lone parents allowance are always on the watch out for inspectors in case they spot the partner living with them.


 
Would you like to rephrase that sean.c?


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## potnoodler

Be prepared for a lot more mass generalisations as the media and the government step up their campaign to turn the masses against each other


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## ClubMan

sean.c said:


> The inspector called around my place when we claimed Rent Allowance, I figured it was to verify the size of the apartment etc. etc.


I'm sure you could have asked them why they were visiting but ultimately it's no great mystery:

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/Su...wance/Pages/RentSupplement.aspx#How_to_apply4



> The CWO usually visits you to confirm your circumstances.


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## sean.c

Mel said:


> Would you like to rephrase that sean.c?



No, I wouldn't.

"I know people" isn't a mass generalisation.

If I had said ""everyone on Lone Parents..." or "Everyone on Welfare", then I could be accused of generalising.  But I didn't.  I said, "I know people", because I do know people who are illegally claiming.  It's just a fact, not an opinion.


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## ClubMan

I thought it was a joke about the inspector living with the claimant's partner but maybe that's just my dirty mind...


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## Mel

sean.c said:


> No, I wouldn't.
> 
> "I know people" isn't a mass generalisation.
> 
> If I had said ""everyone on Lone Parents..." or "Everyone on Welfare", then I could be accused of generalising. But I didn't. I said, "I know people", because I do know people who are illegally claiming. It's just a fact, not an opinion.


 
Fair enough; you probably could have made that clear; I've taken the liberty of adding a word to clarify:  

"I know people claiming lone parents allowance _*who*_ are always on the watch out for inspectors in case they spot the partner living with them."


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## sean.c

Mel said:


> "I know people claiming lone parents allowance _*who*_ are always on the watch out for inspectors in case they spot the partner living with them."



Ok, you win that one...


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## Mel

yay


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## Bronte

I've known people who were worried about social welfare inspectors calling, specifically if boyfriends spent the weekend etc.  Over the years I've heard stories of social welfare officers disallowing benefits based on finding men's shoes in the bedroom.


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## ClubMan

Bronte said:


> Over the years I've heard stories of social welfare officers disallowing benefits based on finding men's shoes in the bedroom.


Ah - that old chestnut. Up there with immigrants getting socialising money and as many baby's buggies as they need so they just leave them behind when the bus is full etc.


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## bullworth

what happens if you refuse to let them enter your home but instead tell them you are available for an interview at the welfare offices ?


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## Bronte

I'd imagine they'd be highly suspicious of you and use every bureaucratic trick they have to catch or trip you up.  A big red stamp on your  file with 'watch this one' meaning make life hell everytime social welfare come in contact with you.  Don't underestimate the power of civil servants.  

Clubman if this and other threads are anything to go by I'd say the shoes and toothbrushes are well hidden.


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## Mel

Bronte said:


> I'd imagine they'd be highly suspicious of you and use every bureaucratic trick they have to catch or trip you up. A big red stamp on your file with 'watch this one' meaning make life hell everytime social welfare come in contact with you. Don't underestimate the power of civil servants.
> 
> Clubman if this and other threads are anything to go by I'd say the shoes and toothbrushes are well hidden.


 
What threads Bronte? I'm not sure what you are saying here. 

I was made redundant at one stage and claimed rent allowance, and the SW inspector called to check the place that I was renting, but she certainly didn't check rooms for toothbrushes or shoes, not that there were any to hide in any case.


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## Bronte

Mel said:


> What threads Bronte? I'm not sure what you are saying here.
> 
> .


  Over time people on here have posted cryptic posts on social welfare but people are too clever to admit they are conning the system as the poster would be attacked on here.  But we get hints of it from time to time.  

I too once received rent allowance, SW officer called and measured the room I was renting if I recall correctly.


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## bullworth

Mel said:


> she certainly didn't check rooms for toothbrushes or shoes, not that there were any to hide in any case.



You don't wear shoes or brush your teeth  ? Sounds like a genuine proletariat case


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## Mel

bullworth said:


> You don't wear shoes or brush your teeth  ? Sounds like a genuine proletariat case


 
We painted our feet black and laced our toes together. Good old Brendan Grace!


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