Help my bed-bound DF obtain a PPS Card?

[Skyvemind]

Anyone here work in the Irish civil service who could help me out?

My elderly Dad is in a nursing home and is not mobile and not well.
All his identity documents such as passport and driver’s licence are now out of date as he has been either in hospital or nursing home for the last 5 years.

During this time no one was aware that he might need a Personal Public Service Card to access government services.

He has never had one but he needs one now because he needs it to avail of Decision Support Services as he is embarking upon the process of assigning POA.

His children are based abroad and can’t be physically present for the period of time it would take to sort this out, but even then, he’s un-movable and unable to visit any social services offices to validate his identity and existence.

We have his PPSN (Personal Public Service Number) and have asked Social Services how he can get the card to go with it. SS say they have a mobile unit (I’m sure for the many cases like my Dad’s?) but there is such a backlog they can’t even give us a date by which he might be seen and all they can do is add him to a wait list.

So he is stuck without a card to access services and they can’t come to him either.

Has anyone else found a way of solving this or can anyone help with ideas to overcome this?

This is from the Citizens Information and hope it helps you.

Applying onlineYou can apply online for a PPS number using MyWelfare.ie, if you are living in Ireland and you are at least 18 years of age. You also need a basic MyGovID account.
When you apply online, you need to upload:

• A copy of your photo identity document (passport, driving licence, ID card etc.) If you do not have valid documents, you should provide whatever ID documents that you do have.
• Proof of why you need a PPS number
• Proof of your address

The documents you upload must be easy to read. Maybe ring Citizens information for advise. Hope you get sorted.

Many thanks Boots52, he has the number allocated, it’s the card they won’t issue.

How was he collecting his pension without a card @Skyvemind? I would ask Welfare to issue him with a temporary card until such time as they clear the backlog. Otherwise get your local TD to intervene on his behalf. They can work wonders with these matters!

Contact his local TD.

Thank you both @JaneJeffer and @honeyrider

That’s a good question re his pension.
He hasn’t lived in his own home for a long time and even then, he was latterly very house bound so I’m not sure but I think his pension was being automatically transferred to his account.
I will ask my siblings.
I will also ask re a temporary card but the SS officers are very computer says no on this so far.

Referring upwards to the local TD was gonna be my next suggestion to the sibling who is mainly trying to sort this, but I thought I would ask the wise mná of Craicnet first as they’d surely have all the hacks covered 😜

Thanks for the replies.

I had to contact a local TD about something years ago and I was blown away by how quickly the TD got things done.

Silly me so sorry, I know when my son had to get one he had to go get a photo taken but now you can also do that on the mywelfare.ie account also. I would actually ring Citizens Information and explain your situation and see how they can help you. Hope you get sorted soon.

Thanks Boots54 we will do that next I think. Multiple arms trying to sort this from afar. I will be back soon in person and will do what I can.
My Dad is the typical person left disadvantaged by the transition to a wholly digital age over the last 10-15 years. He remains mentally quite sharp apart from short term memory confusion but he doesn’t even have a mobile phone as he had always staunchly refused any attempts at connecting him.

I know it is difficult and trying to sort things out not easy. Hope you get sorted and wishing you and family the best.