Advocacy Services

The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU) are recognised as specialists in the field of Welfare Rights and Welfare to Work information provision. We provide a telephone Welfare to Work information service to individuals and affiliated organisations.

Our Advocacy Service can assist and support you in your engagement with the Deparment of Social Protection (DSP) in relation to:

• Applications for payment
• Review of unfavourable decisions
• Accessing information by means of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act
• Engaging in the Social Welfare Appeals process and providing supports / represenation at Social Welfare Appeal hearings.

As part of our Advocacy Service, our staff can engage with you and support you in a number of ways including:

• listening to what you think about what’s happened to you and why it has happened
• helping you to understand information about any decision or situation that has been arrived at
• explain the relevant Social Welfare Legislation and Operational Guidelines as may apply or be relevant to your situation
• explain the options available to you in seeking to address or resolve any issues or concerns
• helping you to idenitfy relevant and appropriate information and detail in support of your circumstances
• identify and plan how to progress the situation and what you can do next

As part of our Advocacy Service, we cannot:

• offer counselling or mediation
• offer legal advice or legal instruction
• make decisions for you
• tell you what to do

If at any point you need support that your advocate cannot offer, they can help you find out if there is someone who can. You can ask the INOU to stop advocacy support, or withdraw services, at any time.

 

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