Retirement Planning Programme

Thinking Ahead! – A Public Information Evening on State Pensions 

& additional Benefits & Entitlements

Co. Roscommon Citizens Information Service, which is funded and supported by the Citizens Information Board, as part of its remit of delivering information, advice and advocacy services to the public is holding a public information evening on Thursday, 5th November, 2015 on social welfare State Pensions and additional benefits & entitlements.    

The venue is King House, Boyle at 7pm; registration commences from 6.30pm – 6.45pm.  This is a free event and all are welcome to attend.     

This event is an interagency initiative between Co. Roscommon Citizens Information Service, Roscommon Leader Partnership and Roscommon Older People’s Council.

It is being held for the benefit of members of the public who want to learn more about the types of social welfare State Pensions and the additional benefits, entitlements and supports that are relevant and are currently available upon retirement.     

A guest speaker will present the information in a user friendly manner and demystify the complexity of State Pensions and additional social welfare entitlements.

This event is of relevance for anyone contemplating retirement or indeed for those who have already retired and want to enhance their knowledge to seek any additional outstanding entitlements/benefits.    

It will be of interest to people from all working backgrounds, for the employed, self-employed, homemakers and indeed existing pensioners.

Overall, it is anticipated that those in attendance will come away from the event with a greater knowledge and awareness of the criteria that has to be met under current guidelines to obtain a social welfare pension and any extra benefits & entitlements associated with pensions.

The Information Event will also offer an opportunity to those in attendance of enhancing their knowledge of local supports and services available through agencies in the region for older people.  Representatives from a number of local organisations will be on hand hosting their own information stands at the event.

This is a free information event and refreshments will be served to attendees. 

For further information contact Fiona Kilmartin (Roscommon CIC) on 0761 07 6380 or Margaret Lynch (Boyle CIC) on 0761 07 6330.

Consumer rights in the EU

Question:

I’ve just come back from a holiday in Portugal. I booked a tour to see the sights but the coach didn’t turn up on the day. The tour company said we could rearrange another time but this didn’t suit me. Can I get my money back?

Answer:

When you buy goods or services in another EU member state you have certain rights under consumer legislation, including the right to make a complaint. The consumer laws of Portugal apply to any goods or services you bought while you were visiting there. However language differences and distance can make it more difficult to complain effectively. 

If you are not happy with something you paid for, you should deal with the issue as soon as possible. In some cases, there are time limits for taking certain procedures. Even if there are no time limits set down, it is easier for you and the service provider to deal with issues as soon as possible. 

Keep all relevant documents. It is your responsibility to prove that you paid for the goods or service that you are complaining about. A receipt is just one way to prove that you paid for an item or service. If you paid for the item by credit card, you can use your credit card statement as proof of purchase. 

You should contact the service provider or retailer directly to make your complaint – in this case, the tour company. If you have exhausted the company’s complaints mechanism or you are not happy with their response you should seek advice from your European Consumer Centre (ECC).

The ECC in Ireland is there to support you if you have a problem with a supplier of goods or services in another EU member state. It is part of an EU-wide network of consumer centres and it can help you to solve consumer disputes that arise in other member states of the EU. It does this by trying to solve the dispute directly with the supplier and, if this fails, by referring your case to an alternative dispute resolution body.

Further information is available from the Citizens Information Centre below.

Know Your Rights has been compiled by Boyle Citizens Information Centre which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Tel: 0761 07 6330 

Address: Elphin Street, Boyle, Co. Roscommon

Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service - 0761 074 000.