Social Welfare Appeal G0032

After separating from her spouse, the Appellant applied for the One-Parent Family Payment. She was refused as she was not deemed to be habitually resident in the State. The Deciding Officer (DO) stated that there was no evidence of the Appellant’s continuous residence and means of support in the State. Also, the DO was of the opinion that the Appellant’s centre of interest was not Ireland, as she had lived elsewhere for most of her life and she had no apparent family ties in Ireland. This decision was appealed. The Appellant submitted evidence to support her assertion, that she was habitually resident in Ireland. The Appeals Officer was satisfied that the facts in this case supported the Appellant’s claim to be habitually resident in the state. The Appeals Officer issued a summary decision in this case.