Public Services Card

AFAIK, you must apply for one?

I don't have a card, and don't expect to receive one.
 
When you go down to your Social Welfare facility to apply for your Public Services Card, make an appointment and bring with you
1. Suitable identification.
2. Mobile Phone
3. Utility Bill

When you arrive and if asked to come back later, be prepared to stand your ground. Ask for an application form for free travel in Northern Ireland too.
 
My experience is that you must have a specific benefits need to apply for a PSC. We tried to get one as an easy route to proving PPS (to buy prize bonds). Appointment made, all necessary documents produced, but my wife and I were both refused a PSC. The person issuing them said that as we didn't need one to apply for a benefit now, she couldn't issue either of us with a card. My wife will be eligible for free travel in just less than 2 years and was told to come back a month or two before age 66. We were actually quite surprised at the policy. I can't imagine many countries turning away volunteers for what is effectively a national ID document.

Paul
 
I got one last year by applying online and getting an appointment. My understanding now is that they are in a bit of bother with GDPR and security rules and may have to cancel them which is why they are probably not giving them out to people who do not require them.
 
Just to point out . . . . your Public Services Card also doubles as your free bus/train pass. If yours does not have these included apply immediately as it can take weeks for processing. On the other hand the Northern Ireland free bus/train pass is processed within 10 days (Saturdays/Sundays/BankHolidays included).

Also, keep the correspondence in a file in case you lose the card(s) as they have unique numbers.
 
I got one last year by applying online and getting an appointment. My understanding now is that they are in a bit of bother with GDPR and security rules and may have to cancel them which is why they are probably not giving them out to people who do not require them.

AFAIK the Data Protection Commissioner ruled that there is no legal basis for making the PSC mandatory outside of welfare transactions.
Government indicated an intention to appeal this so we need to see what happens when we next have a government !

I did get annoyed at the exquisitely ambiguous "official" view that a PSC was not mandatory for certain matters (outside of social welfare) but it was required. Grrrr....

A number of state agencies seem to be still operating as if a PSC was a mandatory requirement to enable you to access their services.
 
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