The cost of moving
Moving home is always expensive even if you are only going ‘down the road’. Where you are travelling to a different country the problems and the costs quickly mount up. If you do not have family or friends who will help you to move, you will be relying on removal firms. Shipping furniture is very expensive and it might be worth your while at the ‘thinking stage’ to make some enquiries from specialist firms who do this kind of work.
Moving home to
Ireland from the USA:
The advice is to ‘travel light’ because shipping your belongings home from the USA can be very expensive. But! if you just cannot say goodbye to your possessions it is important that you find a moving company that is legitimate and is in compliance with the law. An international moving company must have a “tariff/on file” at the Federal Maritime Commission in Washington D.C., otherwise no matter what they say to the contrary any insurance taken out on a shipment is null and void and un-collectable should anything go wrong. Our advice is to shop around but remember to check that your removal firm is legitimate.
Habitual Residency Condition
If you are coming from anywhere in the Common Travel Area you may only have to complete an additional form.
If you are coming from outside the Common Travel Area you may experience initial difficulties. To make things easier for yourself you should gather as much documentation as you can before returning to Ireland.
You would be advised, when leaving a non Common Travel Area country, to come to Ireland to have as much documentation as possible that shows you are severing your links with that country – evidence of transferring the foreign pension to Ireland, details showing the sale of your property or giving up your tenancy etc. We will furnish details of your offer of tenancy here if you are coming home through Safe-Home. All of this documentation will be useful to show habitual residency in Ireland in the event of you needing to apply for a range of benefits from the Irish State.
Important Note! Regardless of what country you are coming from you may be asked to provide documentary evidence that shows your ‘centre of interest’ is now in Ireland = you have moved to Ireland, you intend to settle in Ireland permanently, you do not intend going back to live in the country you came from.
Check list for Returnees
Re: Applications for Social Assistance payments to the Department of Social Protection in Ireland
Where Possible, the returnee will undertake to provide the following documentary evidence:
- Proof to show they have given up accommodation abroad
- Proof they have cancelled or applied to cancel any non-transferable benefits
- Proof to show they have transferred or applied to transfer any transferable income
- Proof to show measures have been put in place to open a bank account here
- Proof to show they have a tenancy in their own name (In Ireland)
- Proof of travel documents including, where relevant, excess baggage fee and removal/shipping receipts.
And!
Any additional documentation relevant to supporting their intention to reside permanently in the State.
Entitlements in
Ireland
Q. I am an
older person and am on a low income. Are there any additional benefits
I might qualify for on my return to Ireland?
Or,
I am a disabled person wanting to return home but will have only a low
income. Is there any help?
A.
Yes, in both cases, you may be entitled to help through the Household
Benefits Package. It is a means tested package based on your income
consisting of.
- Allowance 1 – Electricity Allowance or
Natural Gas Allowance or Electricity (Group Account) Allowance or
Bottled Gas Refill Allowance.
- Allowance 2 – Telephone Allowance
– which covers mainly line/equipment rental
- Allowance 3 - Free Television licence
You will qualify if: You are 70 years or older Or
Are in
receipt of a Carer’s Allowance
Receive
a qualifying payment from the Department of Social and Family Affairs
in Ireland (or an equivalent Social Security Pension/Benefit from an EU
country) And
Live alone or only with certain excepted persons (Your spouse or
partner) if you are receiving an allowance for him or her
A person who would qualify for the allowance in his/her own right e.g.
a person getting a State Pension
A
person who is providing you, or someone in your household, with
constant care and attention, if you or that person is so incapacitated
as to require constant care and attention for at least 12 months -
(medical certification may be retired.)
Or
You are aged
between 66 and 69, satisfy a means test and permanently living (all
year round) at the address from which you apply. You must also be a
registered consumer of electricity/ Natural Gas and the registered
telephone account holder if you are applying for a Telephone Allowance.
Free Travel
Anyone getting a Free Travel Pass must live in the State on an all
round year basis.
The
scheme gives Free Travel to all people over 66 years of age or someone
receiving a qualifying payment from the Department of Social &
Family Affairs in Ireland (or equivalent Social Security
Pension/Benefit from an EU country)
Living Alone Allowance
You
need to be aged 66+, living alone and in receipt of a pension or
qualifying payment from Department of Social & Family Affairs
in
Ireland. People on pensions from another EU country will not qualify
unless they also in receipt of an Irish social welfare pension.
National Fuel Scheme
This is a means tested weekly payment operating between October and April.
You may qualify if you are dependent on long-term social welfare or HSE
(Health Service Executive).
One
of the first things you should do when you arrive in Ireland is
register for your PPS Number (this is the equivalent of your National
Insurance/Social Security Number).
(Please Note: Some people may
already have this number particularly if you are they are in receipt of
a part Irish pension or if they worked in Ireland after 1979. Your PPS
is made up of 7 numbers and ends in a letter - example: 4567891W)
To apply for a PPS Number:
Go
to the local social welfare office in the area you have returned to and
they will give you the necessary form to complete. You will need to
take the following documentation with you:
- Long form birthcert
- Photo I.D.
- Proof of residency in Ireland
It
usually takes about 7 days to process the application for a PPS number
or sometimes you can apply for it quicker via the Community Welfare
Officer.
Community Welfare
Officer
Another
important visit to put high on your list is a visit to the Community
Welfare Officer. Each small town or village has an officer who calls to
some location (like a community centre) at least once a week. You
should take all your paper work with you as he/she will assist you in
relation to transfer of benefits. It is important that you bring all
your information - bank statements etc as this will be required if for
example you need to avail of Supplementary Welfare or assistance with
your rent through Rent Allowance. Both are means tested payments and
your income will need to be assessed.
Note! - It is important to
note that Community Welfare Officers usually only attend their
‘clinics’ once a week. So depending on when you
arrive in Ireland - you
may have a wait before you get to see them and you will have another
wait if you do not have all the paperwork they require. This
could put
pressure on your finances.
Opening a Bank Account
To open an account in Ireland many banks require 2 utility bills in the customers name and address in Ireland to show they are resident in the country. This can pose problems for returning emigrants as most utility bills are charged monthly and this could cause a delay in getting pensions/benefits transferred. In these instances headed notepaper from the Housing Association confirming the offer of housing to the applicant and the address of the property or a copy of the tenancy agreement may be useful.
Guidance Notes to financial institutions give advice on the various forms of identity that may be used. A full passport is the favoured option, however if this is not available the following may be acceptable:
-Driving license or age card issued by the Gardai.
-Birth cert accompanied by a passport photograph signed by the Gardai
-Documentation issued by a Government Department showing the name of the person, together with a statement from a person of responsibility who is in a position to confirm the persons identity- e.g solicitor, doctor, accountant, religious minister, teacher/other professional. The final decision on what is appropriate identification rests with the financial institution. |
