gov - Minister Doherty Launches New Publicity Campaign for MyWelfare.ie

he Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty T.D., today launched a new campaign to promote the benefits of her Department’s online portal for accessing welfare services and schemes called MyWelfare.ie.

Marking the formal launch of a publicity campaign to increase awareness of MyWelfare.ie, Minister Doherty said:

“I am delighted to launch a new campaign to promote the benefits of MyWelfare.ie today, the home of welfare services – a platform which is safe, secure and accessible anytime, anywhere and on all devices. We have continued to develop the variety of services online and, as the platform has evolved, it has moved towards facilitating services such as making appointments and applying for welfare supports and schemes, to updating personal details and ordering statements”.

As part of the Department’s modernisation programme and the public service reform plan, and in response to demands from people, the Department has moved more and more into the delivery of its services online. Accordingly, to enable people to access personalised online welfare services, the Department built a secure, online website called MyWelfare.ie, which is accessed via the MyGovID portal. MyGovID is an integral safe and secure enabler to provide individuals with access to a wide range of online Government services.

Minister Doherty said:

“This is Public Service at its best, where we provide convenient and easy access to services so that they can be delivered efficiently and quickly. I strongly believe that our services should be built around user needs and in a way they can understand and relate to, down to things like the language we use. I am particularly pleased to see how user feedback has influenced and improved the evolution of our platform.”

The first service to go live on MyWelfare.ie was the facility for customers to make appointments for a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) or a Public Services Card (PSC). This popular service, which allows people to select a specific time and a place that best suits them for their appointment has already facilitated over 570,000 people.

People wishing to access a payment or contribution statement may also do so online with in excess of 80,000 requests facilitated to date via MyWelfare.ie.

A range of welfare services may now be applied for online including, Maternity Benefit, Paternity Benefit, Child Benefit, PRSI refunds and Jobseekers payments. The most recent service to be added is the online T12 Pension Recalculation service launched in January 2019 and over 3,500 customers have already submitted requests.

In response to commitments in both the National Disability Inclusion Strategy and the Make Work Pay Report, MyWelfare.ie now hosts a Benefit of Work Estimator for people on Disability and Illness Payments. A further estimator was added last year for people on Jobseeker and One Parent Family payments. Both estimators, which are anonymous services, show how an increase in income from employment may affect their payments and what additional in-work supports they may receive.

Minister Doherty emphasised:

“I would strongly encourage people to visit MyWelfare.ie and explore the range of services that are now available. Simple but important services like changing your address that traditionally involved a visit to an office or a letter can now be completed online. The site is a simple, easy to use one-stop-shop for many of our services.”

The Digital Services Channel Strategy which sets out the Department’s objectives and the principles that guide how online services are developed can be accessed here (Digital Services Channel Strategy).

ENDS

Note for Editors

Samples of the posters to be used in the publicity campaign are attached.

Usage of MyWelfare.ie services

	All time Data 31st up to January 2019	1st January 2019 to 31st January 2019
Online Appointment
Create Irish Language PPSN/PSC Appointment	3,367	94
Cancel a PPSN/PSC Appointment	68,934	2,789
Amend a PPSN/PSC Appointment	45,598	1,852
Create Sign Language PPSN/PSC Appointment	4,425	143
Create a PPSN/PSC Appointment	573,561	22,225
Scheme Maintenance
Create Close Claim Request	10,750	606
Create Holiday Request	6,064	158
MAT PAT Payment Method Change	182	3
Scheme Application
Child Benefit Application	5,213	500
Jobseeker Application	6,215	645
Maternity Benefit Application	3,623	245
Paternity Benefit Application	18,261	1,087
My Details
Change of Address	10,037	870
Change Language Request	290	0
Statement
Contribution History Statement - Level 0	25,044	2,371
Contribution History Statement - Level 2	33,027	2,255
Payment Statement Request	24,225	2,263
Jobseeker Certification
Notification to Certify Online	3,398	347
Declaration Submitted	3,076	317
Activation
My Work And Skills	892	67
Apply For
PRSI Refund	828	63
Pension T12 Recalculation	2,236	2,235

*Can be accessed with basic MyGovID account, all other services require a verified account

MyWelfare Services in order of go live date:

Go Live Date	MyWelfare Service
July 2015	Make Appointment to get Personal Public Service PPS Number
July 2015	Make Appointment to get your Public Services Card PSC
Jan 2016	Close your Jobseekers Benefit Claim
Jan 2016	Request a Jobseeker's Holiday
Feb 2016	Apply for Jobseeker's Payment (Pilot Only)
Feb 2016	Request Payment Statement
May 2016	Submit Work and Skills Details
Sept 2016	Apply for Maternity Benefit
Sept 2016	Apply for Paternity Benefit
Sept 2016	Apply for Child Benefit invited service only
June 2017	Apply for PRSI refund
July 2017	Request a Contribution Statement
July 2017	Update/Change address
Nov 2017	Check Treatment Benefit eligibility
Feb 2018	Jobseeker Certification (Pilot only)
May 2018	Benefit of work calculator Disabilities/Illness payments
Nov 2018	Benefit of work calculator Jobseeker/One Parent Family Payments
Jan 2019	Pension Recalculation service (for those awarded pension after 2012)

Minister Doherty Launches New Publicity Campaign for MyWelfare.ie - the online home of welfare services

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