No decrease in Social Welfare Payments?

daisy123

I'm just wondering is there a reason behind the no decrease in Job Seekers Allowance/Benefits? Legislation or something? It was promised that all areas of society would bear the brunt equally, and yet everybodies income is coming down except those who are not working.

I realise that it is very hard to be out of employment, but if everybody has to tighten their belts and change habits in their lifestyles etc, why can't people on the Live Register do the same?

As is stands, the money I earn for a 37.5 hour week is not coming in at much more than the dole when the new levy is taken into account, and I'm sure there's people earning less than I am.

So, I was just wondering if there was a legal reason for not decreasing payments NOW as opposed to looking at them in subsequent budgets?

snubbleste

daisy123 wrote: »

..
So, I was just wondering if there was a legal reason for not decreasing payments NOW as opposed to looking at them in subsequent budgets?

No there isn't a legal reason.

johnnyskeleton

Push comes to shove, they could cancel all social welfare payments and benefits tomorrow if they liked. However, they evidently perceive this to be political suicide.

Sierra Oscar

Well under 20's job seekers allowance has been halved.

The payments should have decreased 4% at least in line with the projected falling cost of living.

foxy06

My brother is 25 never had a job in his life (so nothing to do with this recession then) and gets 200 quid a week despite living at home and having everything handed to him. Fair play for cutting the dole for under 20's but they should means test the dole for people living at home with no expenses. He has a 40 inch flat screen tv he bought with his back dated Dole money for gods sake!!! They really don't hit the people who don't need it.

Sierra Oscar

foxy06 wrote: »

My brother is 25 never had a job in his life (so nothing to do with this recession then) and gets 200 quid a week despite living at home and having everything handed to him. Fair play for cutting the dole for under 20's but they should means test the dole for people living at home with no expenses. He has a 40 inch flat screen tv he bought with his back dated Dole money for gods sake!!! They really don't hit the people who don't need it.

I totally agree.

Highsider

Just about to post a thread on this particular issue myself. With the amount of indirect taxes,taxes,tax levy as well as my rent etc...with the money i'm on i'm beginning to think i'd be better off on the dole. Seriously if i got rent allowance and all the other benefits you get on the dole i think i'd be better off. Crazy :mad: Why is it if you work and try and do your bit you get royally f**ked and if you sit on your arse doing SFA you get everything you need to get by and more. At the very least long term dole heads (year or more) should have had their dole cut by half. Very angry right now.

Once you reach 25 there is no means test.

Anyone under that age won't recieve much, or nothing at all if one/both parents have half decent jobs.

Tipsy Mac

They took the Christmas bonus payment away so that 1 week from 53 gone so a little less than a 2% cut if you look at it that way.

AckwelFoley

It hasnt been touched as such , however he did indicate that it could be in subsequent budgets.

What is possible is that if the economy deflates ie the cost of goods and services decreases the welfare payments would be cut to reflect the decrease

eg, if the economy deflates by 6 % welfare may be cut by 5 %

líreacán

Highsider wrote: »

with the money i'm on i'm beginning to think i'd be better off on the dole.

A lot of people I work with are thinking the same thing. The only thing I think of is that it is usually easier to find a job while IN a job.

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

They took the Christmas bonus payment away so that 1 week from 53 gone so a little less than a 2% cut if you look at it that way.

Yes, while this is true, the rest of us have to tighten our belts year round. Christmas will just be a little tighter this year for those on benefits. Most things at Christmas are a luxury anyway, not a right. Perhaps it will do the attitude of this country good to be a little less materialistic.

Rented Mule

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

They took the Christmas bonus payment away so that 1 week from 53 gone so a little less than a 2% cut if you look at it that way.

True, but that is also more money that will not be spent in the Republic at Christmas. This will hurt businesses as much as the people who no longer receive this beneift.

sunnyside

Local elections in June. The unemployed people will be at home to answer the door to the canidates so they wouldn't want the unemployed to be getting too upset just yet.

nesf

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

Well under 20's job seekers allowance has been halved.

The small print according to RTE is that this will not happen where the person has children or where they are co-habiting with a partner with children.

donegal lass 4

Its a disgrace, that they are young people who feel the dole offers them a better lifestyle than employment! The shame is that in the case of min wage earners. . Its probarly true!

ionix5891

nesf wrote: »

The small print according to RTE is that this will not happen where the person has children or where they are co-habiting with a partner with children.

yay encourage them to have babies and more mouths to suck of the social welfare tit when they grow up

RonMexico

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

They took the Christmas bonus payment away so that 1 week from 53 gone so a little less than a 2% cut if you look at it that way.

No it was an extra bonus that was granted to you not out of necessity but out of generosity during the good times. Naturally people then come to expect it like they expect other hand-outs from the government. I work and got feck all of a bonus so consider yourself lucky you got it at all.

nesf

ionix5891 wrote: »

yay encourage them to have babies and more mouths to suck of the social welfare tit when they grow up

Meh, that's already there due to Child Allowance etc.

Richard Dower

donegal lass 4 wrote: »

Its a disgrace, that they are young people who feel the dole offers them a better lifestyle than employment! The shame is that in the case of min wage earners. . Its probarly true!

But it is true!!...i know people who earn more not working then working, they'd lose money if they started working!

easyeason3

Dole probably seems a lot of money to some people right now but in reality it doesn't go that far. Coming from earning a fairly decent salary, and paying tax on that I might add, it has been a major kick in the ass to reign myself in to live on €204 a week considering I have a car loan to keep up with, trying my best to sell the car but like everything at the moment it's a slow process.

Anyway it's not by choice I'm signing on & I would only love to have a job to go into but I don't & I'm not the only one out there feeling like this.

It does bug me when I have to go into social welfare to sign on once a month & I can hand pick people in the queue who have never done a days work & has no ambition to. It bugs me even more when I'm standing directly behind some of them & get the whiff of last nights beer. And it nearly makes me cry when I see those exact same people strolling from the pub to the bookies & back each day. You might think I'm making this up but I'm not. It makes my blood boil.

I'm a little bit surprised they didn't do something with social welfare but I'm going to be honest & say that I'm glad. I honestly don't see how I could survive financially if it was lowered by more than €10. Things are that tight.
But I'm not stupid enough not to know that it must be soul destroying for people to work on average a 39 hour week & come out with slightly more. I can see exactly why people would feel this way but I can tell you that being on the dole is not all it's cracked up to be, contrary to what some people might think.

Theres a lot to be said for having your pride & it's hard to find that standing in a dole queue.

Richard Dower

ionix5891 wrote: »

yay encourage them to have babies and more mouths to suck of the social welfare tit when they grow up

This is true also!, you will find certain housing estate type who deliberatly have kids to get more money!! :mad:

We might also see more "arrangements" ie...fraud, people pretending to be couples etc.

rapture 3

god forbid any of you lose ur jobs.then we ll see how YOU live.on 200 a week or whatever it is.

Richard Dower

easyeason3 wrote: »

Dole probably seems a lot of money to some people right now but in reality it doesn't go that far. Coming from earning a fairly decent salary, and paying tax on that I might add, it has been a major kick in the ass to reign myself in to live on €204 a week considering I have a car loan to keep up with, trying my best to sell the car but like everything at the moment it's a slow process.

Anyway it's not by choice I'm signing on & I would only love to have a job to go into but I don't & I'm not the only one out there feeling like this.

It does bug me when I have to go into social welfare to sign on once a month & I can hand pick people in the queue who have never done a days work & has no ambition to. It bugs me even more when I'm standing directly behind some of them & get the whiff of last nights beer. And it nearly makes me cry when I see those exact same people strolling from the pub to the bookies & back each day. You might think I'm making this up but I'm not. It makes my blood boil.

I'm a little bit surprised they didn't do something with social welfare but I'm going to be honest & say that I'm glad. I honestly don't see how I could survive financially if it was lowered by more than €10. Things are that tight.
But I'm not stupid enough not to know that it must be soul destroying for people to work on average a 39 hour week & come out with slightly more. I can see exactly why people would feel this way but I can tell you that being on the dole is not all it's cracked up to be, contrary to what some people might think.

Theres a lot to be said for having your pride & it's hard to find that standing in a dole queue.

The things you mention are absolutely true, so don't worry about people think you're lying

ionix5891

rapture 3 wrote: »

god forbid any of you lose ur jobs.then we ll see how YOU live.on 200 a week or whatever it is.

i had to live on 200 a week not too many years ago but i had to work for it washing dishes and doing other hard restaurant work since i couldn't get the dole at time

dont lecture me about how hard it is to be getting 200+ a week for doing nothing

Richard Dower

rapture 3 wrote: »

god forbid any of you lose ur jobs.then we ll see how YOU live.on 200 a week or whatever it is.

It's not easy for those who genuinely need it, this thread shows that it differs from case to case, but...there is that segment of society, that housing estate types i truely dispise :mad:

The types who know and play the system, the types who commit the crimes and engage in anti social behaviour, that "class" or section of society is causing alot of Irelands problems, on sooo many levels.

líreacán

rapture 3 wrote: »

god forbid any of you lose ur jobs.then we ll see how YOU live.on 200 a week or whatever it is.

I already live on way less than 200 a week and save the rest (although not much more) for this exact possible occurrence. Granted I don't pay rent (although if on benefits this would be supplemented) and I don't have bills, but have worked out what my bills WOULD be if away from home and could still do it on 200 a week. I might have to socialise less and take less holidays, but once again they are LUXURIES and can scale them back if needed.

Wasn't the dole about 80-90 euro less about 5 years ago? Or am I totally wrong their?

Goods have not gone up 80% since then so I see no reason for this increase.

easyeason3

Richard Dower wrote: »

It's not easy for those who genuinely need it, this thread shows that it differs from case to case, but...there is that segment of society, that housing estate types i truely dispise :mad:

The types who know and play the system, the types who commit the crimes and engage in anti social behaviour, that "class" or section of society is causing alot of Irelands problems, on sooo many levels.

Yep, you are one hundred percent right & that is what I have a huge problem with. When times were good & you couldn't turn in the street without getting a job offer there was always a segment of society that were signing on for no valid reason.

sunnyside

rapture 3 wrote: »

god forbid any of you lose ur jobs.then we ll see how YOU live.on 200 a week or whatever it is.

Have none of you ever been students? I've never earned a massive income so I have no fear of the dole. I don't want to live that lifestyle but I know I could do it for a while. €204 is enough to pay for food, car loan and a few household bills. And that's before medical card and rent allowance.

daisy123

I am glad to see people agreeing with me here. Just had a heated discussion with my sister and her friends about this. They are all due to leave courses the end of this year and plan on going on the dole as finding a job is "too hard" at the moment. I agree it is difficult, but a lot of them have given up before they even began! And as students, they have been living on much less until now!

sunnyside

easyeason3 wrote: »

there was always a segment of society that were signing on for no valid reason.

Some people just aren't employable.