Public Services card.

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DirectDevil

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I am confused about this following recent public pronouncements that the card is not obligatory but that it is mandatory ???

I handle paperwork and admin matters for an elderly relative. He is in a little bit of a knot as he does not have one of these cards and it might be a practical logistical pain for him to go about getting one. We can organise one if needs be but I am wondering does he really have to get one if he needs to claim for additional benefits beyond what he has at present ?

BTW he has one of the older style free travel passes in the form of a white card with his photograph on it. Would one of the Public Services cards operate for free travel or does he still keep his present pass ?
 
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There is a version of the Public Services Card (PSC) which includes the Free Travel (FT) pass, and if issued to your relative, would replace his current card. DSP are hoping to replace all of the older free travel passes with the new PSC/FT cards.

My mother recently decided to get a PSC, she called to her nearest DSP office, was interviewed there and then, and had the card in about a week. She was delighted at how easy the process was.
 
While I think these Public Services cards are a hidden identity card scheme and the next step is that the government will take control of your life and any self respecting person would have nothing to do with them, no really. It will be soon time to let FF back in to destroy the economy again, before FG destroy civil liberties, completely.

You should probably organise one for your relative. They may need it at some point in the future, it may become mandatory for breathing or something, and it will not get any easier to organise with increasing age.
 
The card arrived today. Application process was very quick and easy and I was allowed to assist my relative - the application process was what worried him!
Thanks for your help.
 
My nearest Social Welfare Office is DunLaoghaire.

Can I collect the application form there?
Is my photo taken there?
Is everything dealt with from there?
or
Do I have to go to D'Olier Street to complete the process?

Thanks
 
Thanks. I assume that I have to phone to make an appointment for interview. It is not a walk in service?
 
The Department are moving towards an appointment-based service, where people make a booking online using MyGovID. I don't know if all offices have switched over as yet.
Probably best to phone before you travel, just to be sure.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my mother did just walk in and was seen there and then. But she could just have been lucky at the time.
 
I have just received a letter from the Dept of Social Protection offering to issue me with a Public Services Card if I give my consent for them to use the info I provided when getting my Driving Licence.
 
jpd said:
I have just received a letter from the Dept of Social Protection offering to issue me with a Public Services Card if I give my consent for them to use the info I provided when getting my Driving Licence.
Click to expand...

Are you going to take them up on their offer?
 
These letters went out to many people particularly those living in rural areas or a good distance from SW offices. Great idea, sign the consent and bingo your card arrives in the post!
 
I rang Dun Laoghaire office to make an appointment to get one of the Public Services Card. I eventually got speaking to an individual who couldn't make an appointment for me but said that he would send out a form in the post so I could make an appointment. That was over a week ago and still no form in the post.
 
I don't know what is going on in the Dun Laoghaire SW office. It is almost impossible to get through to them on the phone. They appear to have the same number for all departments.
I was told that my appointment letter for my Public Services Card was posted to me at the end of October. As of yesterday the 8th of November still nothing in the post. Yet I get all my other post the next day.
The Government is urging all of us to get this card. Well it's not for the want of trying on my behalf.
 
It was actually Dun Laoghaire that I dealt with for my relative.

I called in as I was passing. They gave me a short form requesting an appointment which I completed on the spot and handed back. The appointment letter issued about one week later for a few weeks ahead. Once we got there the process was very prompt.

If we had received a "use your driving licence details instead" letter that would have been so convenient.
 
Our Public Services Card expires next month. Got an email advising us to renew online. My good wife spent several hours trying to upload a new photograph online......nothing worked.

We decided to renew the old way and call to one of their offices to renew manually.

We were told by the official behind the counter that the system is not working and you cannot renew online. You have to call to an office to renew.

Why are people being told that it is possible to renew online?
 
Tintagel said:
Our Public Services Card expires next month. Got an email advising us to renew online. My good wife spent several hours trying to upload a new photograph online......nothing worked.

We decided to renew the old way and call to one of their offices to renew manually.

We were told by the official behind the counter that the system is not working and you cannot renew online. You have to call to an office to renew.

Why are people being told that it is possible to renew online?
Click to expand...
Sums up a lot of the dysfunction in the public sector doesn't it.

I understand some people have managed to renew with photos in 4:3 aspect ratio, but there seems to be an element of luck, could be phone\camera specific. Very fussy.
 
One of our Public Services card expires at the end of November. We failed miserably trying to upload a new picture online only to find out later that the system is not working.

We called to Dunlaoghaire office two weeks ago and had the photo taken etc.......only to be told that our existing card with one month on it would be cancelled immediately and the new one would not be posted out until a few days before the expiry date on the old card.
This means that we have nearly 4 weeks without a card.

Is it not possible for these people to post out the new card as soon as it is applied for rather than holding on to it until the old one expires?
 
They seem to make simple things complicated for the client/customer and complex things impossible. Where would we be without them?

A simple thing like a notice on the website saying "the tech is broke, go talk to a human being" seems to be beyond them, and I'm not sure if it's the idea or the execution is lacking - probably both!
 
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