Identity / PPSN

The 2010 Act  clarifies the position with regard to the information to be provided by or in respect of a customer registering for a Personal Public Service (PPS) Number. The Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 currently requires that a photograph and signature be submitted for any customer registering for a PPS Number.

However, it is not practical to collect these items in all cases, e.g. where the customer is non-resident, deceased and in probate cases. The 2010 Act  clarifies the position by only requiring that these items be submitted when required. Providing additional security information will become a compulsory part of the registration process for the purposes of allocating and issuing PPS Numbers.

Both the social services card and the public services card can be used for the purposes of paying social welfare benefits.

The 2011 Act clarifies the provisions relating to the allocation of Personal Public Service Numbers (PPSN) so as to allow parents and guardians to apply for PPSNs for children under 18 years and personal representatives to apply for a PPSN where a person is unable to act (e.g. because of a severe disability).

The 2011 Act provides  for the cancellation and surrender of these cards where evidence becomes available that the card is being used illegally. It also makes it an offence to fail to surrender a Public Services Card, without reasonable excuse, when requested to do so.

The 2011 Act extends the list of bodies that are specified in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 as being authorised to use the Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) for the purposes of carrying out transactions with members of the public, for sharing personal data and information amongst themselves for the purposes of carrying out relevant transactions, and for exchanging data. Two additional bodies are now included — the Probate Office and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.

Applicants for a social welfare payment, a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) or a Public Services Card are required to satisfy the Minister as to their identity before such payment can be awarded or a PPSN or Public Services Card can issue. Where required, this involves applicants having to attend at a designated office in order to have their photograph and a sample of their signature recorded electronically.

 The 2012 Act extends the list of bodies that are specified in Schedule 5 to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 as being authorised to use the Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) for the purposes of carrying out transactions with members of the public, for sharing personal data and information amongst themselves for the purposes of carrying out relevant transactions, and for exchanging data. The Office of the Pensions Ombudsman is now

included as a specified body in Schedule 5 and the Vocational Education Committees (VECs) are being specified

The 2013 Act extended these identity authentication requirements to existing recipients of social welfare payments. Under these requirements a person was disqualified from continuing to receive a social welfare payment where he or she fails to satisfy the Minister as to his or her identity.

The 2013 Act extended the list of bodies that are authorised to use the Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) for the purposes of carrying out transactions with members of the public, for sharing personal data and information amongst themselves for the purposes of

carrying out relevant transactions, and for exchanging data. The new bodies being included are—

— the Insolvency Service of Ireland,

— Quality and Qualifications Ireland, and

— Payment Service Providers in accordance the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 in relation to the collection of the Local Property Tax.

 The 2013 Act amended the Civil Registration Act 2004 to allow for the provision of index information from the registers of births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in accordance with the National Genealogy Policy. This will enable online searching through the www.irishgenealogy.ie website hosted by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Index information in relation to adoptions and stillbirths is excluded.

Authentication of Identity when Presenting for Payment

The 2015 Act  provides for the strengthening of the legislative provisions relating to the authentication of the identity of a person presenting at a post office for a social welfare payment on his or her own behalf or, where appointed to act as an agent on behalf of a social welfare beneficiary, the authentication of that person.

For instance, a person who is presenting for payment on his or her own behalf at a post office will be required to produce his or her public services card or, where the person does not have a public services card, to produce his or her social services card, together with other identifying information.

It  specifies the identifying information or other documentation that must be provided to a post office by a person who has been nominated to receive payment on behalf of another person or who has been appointed to act on behalf of another person.

The 2015 Act  allows the Minister for Social Protection to make special arrangements for specific categories of persons for the furnishing of identifying information directly to the post office where payment will be made.

Use of PPS Numbers by Pyrite Resolution Board

The Pyrite Resolution Board is listed in the list of bodies specified in Schedule 5 to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. Bodies that are specified for the purposes of Schedule 5 to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 are authorised to use Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers and the public services card for the purposes of carrying out transactions with members of the public, sharing personal data and information for the purposes of carrying out relevant transactions and exchanging data for the purposes of controlling social welfare schemes and other schemes and services administered by specified bodies.

The Pyrite Resolution Board is responsible for the implementation of the pyrite remediation scheme which is aimed at remediating certain dwellings affected by significant pyritic damage due to the presence of pyrite in the sub-floor hardcore. The Pyrite Resolution Board intends using the PPS number as a unique identifier for the purposes of ensuring that an applicant can only have one house included in the pyrite remediation process.