Should you work for the dole?

you just read this

Lifestyle choice?

Try living on 110€ a week and see what kind of lifestyle you have

Yes Boss

However working 19 hours a week would provide structure to ones life and the tools to work to those who have never worked a day in their lives...

dayshah

Yes Boss wrote: »

Jesus it looks like Mary might just have started something...The Government are proposing a scheme where you work for your dole.

She started nothing. The idea was already in existence in the form of the community employment scheme. It was cut back a few budgets ago, and this is basically the same, just slightly altered.

Odats

I agree getting people into a routine. Going off me head myself and have taken up a voluntary work abroad in my profession/area of work. I'd have no harm doing 19.5 hrs a week community work in my field of expertise/work but think the scheme could be counter productive and affect people's long term careers as as bad as having a long gap on your CV saying you studied so and so and was sent to A Company or A Voluntary Board by the social to tidy up and clean or is just as bad when they are others who are getting work experience in the field they qualified in have a head start.
Good in theory bad in practice an extension of the WPP1/WPP2 programs which is being abused at the moment.

previous user

I read more of this in the Times today, the article said that the government will increase the number of dole Recipients participating in these job schemes from 10,000 to 40,000 if it proves to be selfsufficient and cost effective, eh, they haven't really thought this out properly have they.

mikeym

The long term unemployed will be too lazy to work for the dole and will apply for disability allowance instead.

angelfalling

If you are too proud to do a little community service (volunteering with the elderly or children, cleaning up your community) that you don't deserve money for nothing. I think its a fabulous idea. I do plenty of volunteering and get no money for it! There is no shame in helping out in your community, no one is talking orange jumpsuits here.

Pride comes before the fall.

jonnyfingers

angelfalling wrote: »

If you are too proud to do a little community service (volunteering with the elderly or children, cleaning up your community) that you don't deserve money for nothing. I think its a fabulous idea. I do plenty of volunteering and get no money for it! There is no shame in helping out in your community, no one is talking orange jumpsuits here.

Pride comes before the fall.

While I applaud anyone who works for the community and volunteers, the problem I have with this is the "money for nothing" part. There are some people on the dole who have only recently lost their jobs, some have been working continuously for a large number of years. These people have paid thousands in taxes to fund the dole budget. I think they're entitled to get that money back and it's hardly money for nothing. It's money for all the hard work the put in while they were in employment and paying their taxes.

Also there is a large disparity in age, education, skills etc. of those on the dole at the moment. Some are highly educated, some even have Masters Degrees or PhDs, and some have years of experience in a given role. Others have never worked a day in their life or have never tried, or never had the opportunity, to upskill. Should everyone of these people scrape chewing gum off the roads for their dole every week? Should those with skills not have their skills utilised?

I'd prefer to see the government do more to create jobs, especially for those highly skilled unemployed. After all wasn't that the Lisbon Treaty promise by the government, "Yes to Jobs"? This same government who are flushing billions down the toilet in the guise of Nama but failed to plan for the future properly during the good times. This same government who are ridiculously well paid yet still claim false expenses. This same government who not olny refuse to call a by-election to try and hold on to what power they have but are wasting €100,000 of tax-payer's money to launch a court case to stop them being forced into calling a by-election.

With so much waste by this government, at the tax-payers expense I might add, and nothing being done to create jobs for the unemployed it's audacious to expect people to do odd jobs for €196 a week. They should sort out the country first. If they can't, get out of office and give someone else a go. Then actually come up with a good idea for working for the dole, one which utilises the skills and talents of those unemployed, one that will enable people to gain new skills and experience through this work, and most of all one that gives a fair wage for the work being done.

The plan at the moment stinks of one that was made without any consideration for those being affected or how to benefit those being affected. It seems to me that the government tarnishes all those unemployed with the same brush and would rather see them all doing any odd job that needs doing rather than "getting their dole for nothing".

SillyMcCarthy

I absolutely agree with this proposal only they are
a bit late bringing this in as imo this should have
been done during the celtic tiger. Too many people
feel that they are owed a bloody living as opposed to
working for one.

michellie

xFROSTY Gx wrote: »

My suggestion is:
If you lose your job then you should get social welfare for 6 months. After that, you should be on your own. That will push people on to get another job. However if you voluntarily leave your job you shouldn't be allowed get social welfare, unless your pregnant etc.
I feel it would help solve alot of problems doing this, but I am sure new problems would arise.

Push you to get a job...where and what job?? Have you tried looking for one lately?

What problems would that solve for someone who has a mortgage and bills to pay and who cannot find a new job?

guineapig1975

angelfalling wrote: »

If you are too proud to do a little community service (volunteering with the elderly or children, cleaning up your community) that you don't deserve money for nothing. I think its a fabulous idea. I do plenty of volunteering and get no money for it! There is no shame in helping out in your community, no one is talking orange jumpsuits here.

Pride comes before the fall.

If you volunteer while receiving jobseekers allowance/benefit, you are technically employed even though not being paid, thus meaning your dole will be stopped as in their eyes, you are not actively seeking employment. (And I was told this by a social welfare employee so it's from the horse's mouth)

Also, this misconception that the dole is money for nothing is maddening. Lots of people on the dole have paid PRSI whilst employed which qualifies them for social welfare payment. Not everyone on the dole is a scrounger. Also, we live in a socialist society. If you don't like it, move to the U.S.

So let's point out a few things to those who've probably never been on the dole in their lives.

• Not everyone on the dole is lazy. My partner and I are unemployed get up with the sun and are keeping busy and active while looking for work and trying to sell our house.
• The dole is not free money.
• I'm sure some people on the system are fiddling it.
• People in receipt of unemployment benefit are not automatically depressed or lacking in motivation. It's a coverall stigma afforded them by those who obviously know not of what they speak.
• A job does not define a person, humanity does. Humanity transcends employment.
• While we continue to squabble among ourselves, the fat cats up in the Dail rub their bellies and drink more of our life blood while bailing out their banker pals with taxpayers' money.

Does anyone else smell a red herring? Methinks the government is testing the water to see how the idea flies with the populace. Otherwise why no details about when it's starting, who's going to be on it etc...?

If you are outraged, then stop talking on here and email Eamon O'Cuiv at:
info@eamonocuiv.ie

I've already sent two emails and plan to send one every day until this mad idea is scrapped in favour of more realistic, long term plans.

Think people! Use your brains! It's the only thing they can't take away from us.

ROCKMAN

Just a quick question for ye ,

Married man with 2 kids ,Unemployed 2 years , getting 380 euros on the dole .Last job interview when for was paying between 264 -297 euros take home pay for 39 hours ,(large retail store )

My question.
In the same situation .How many can honestly say they would have taking the job ?

Ps I have no problem with community work for your dole , once it given some thought and not just endless gangs of people walking around picking up litter .

Odats

This is my story. Got called to go down to the employment Obair office from the social (the girl down in the office said I was randomly selected). Signing off tomorrow as going away volunteering in Africa for 3 months to top up my CV with experience.
Filled out the questionnaire anyway and girl looked at my qualifications (I'm not being snobbish or elitist) said FAS and the obair office isn't designed for the professions and there was no point in doing a FAS course when I come back.
I've no problem working 19.5 hrs a week in my area of work but I'm not going to do something out of kilter just to satisfy the Government if I cannot get work when I come back.
I know FAS is an excellent outlet to up skill for certain people. However, there should be a branch set up now in the current climate to help those graduating from higher education and the professions that are unemployed to up skill and gain experience that will make them more employable. What I'm talking about here is providing relevant training combined with subsidised work experience in which the new employer receives a grant as an incentive to take on graduates after the work experience ends. If employers are caught abusing the system they are blacklisted and penalties imposed.
The WPP1 scheme isn't working end of and is being abused by employers.