What would you do if you were minister for social protection

gobblet

What changes would you make if you were minister for social protection?

I would use the German system of reduced dole payments the longer someone is unemployed to discourage those who are happy to stay on the dole and scrounge off the state and make no effort to look for work.

Reductions starting from 5 years on the dole so that those genuine people who are actively looking for a job get a decent chance of a new job before their dole gets cut.

Got somebody into my work today asking the boss to sign a form to say he looked for a job here. There was no job available! I'm sure someone will sign it for him somewhere.

I would also drastically cut the dole payments of criminals who are charged with crimes and don't get sent to jail.
There are so many criminals who know they can get away with so much and that their free legal aid will argue that they have a drug problem etc and the judge will give them a suspended sentence.
There is nothing to deter them but a big cut to their dole will make them, think twice.

What would you do?

If we get some good ideas I am going to email a link to this thread to Joan Burton in the off chance that she will read through it!!

miller50841

I would shut down the whole system and do a complete overhall. Follow most other countries if you are on the dole and can't afford anything as so many put across you have to give up using your car. Not having a bash at people on the dole I for 1 do understand was out of work also but the whole system is wrong. This business of long time on the dole getting full payment free housing along with many other things sometimes just gets to you are we mad working and doing mad hours

gobblet

I work in an area where about 60% of people are on the dole.
They are always telling me about their next holiday to spain and I see them out buying copious amounts of alcohol.
I work fuill time and i can't afford a holiday but i am paying for these people to go on holidays!
I say bring back the voucher system where they can only spend their allowance of essentials and not holidays and alcohol.

The dole should be an emergency payment from the state for essentials until an individual gets a jobs and not be payments for them to live it up.

miller50841

gobblet wrote: »

I work in an area where about 60% of people are on the dole.
They are always telling me about their next holiday to spain and I see them out buying copious amounts of alcohol.
I work fuill time and i can't afford a holiday but i am paying for these people to go on holidays!
I say bring back the voucher system where they can only spend their allowance of essentials and not holidays and alcohol.

The dole should be an emergency payment from the state for essentials until an individual gets a jobs and not be payments for them to live it up.

Right what your saying there but get ready for the attack off others on this putting down what you say.
Every time I put a point across some smart arse comes on and has some stupid comments

monkeypants

I'd protect the people who contribute to society and not give a damn about those who don't.

RichardAnd

gobblet wrote: »

I work in an area where about 60% of people are on the dole.
They are always telling me about their next holiday to spain and I see them out buying copious amounts of alcohol.
I work fuill time and i can't afford a holiday but i am paying for these people to go on holidays!
I say bring back the voucher system where they can only spend their allowance of essentials and not holidays and alcohol.

The dole should be an emergency payment from the state for essentials until an individual gets a jobs and not be payments for them to live it up.

I can give you a brush but you must supply your own tar. Methinks you will not want for it . . . now then, let me address this without sarcasm.

The idea that unemployment benefits should be food stamps gets thrown about alot on this board, generally in a sentence ending with an exclamation mark. What the champions of this idea either do not grasp or do not care to pay attention to it that giving cash is far more efficient than attempting to set up a voucher system. Allow me to illustrate this.

Joe is on the dole getting 188 euro a week. The system is changed so that Joe will only get vouchers for Tesco to buy what is deemed as essential. The problem is, something Joe needs, medicine for example, is not included on this list of essentials that was drawn up by a group of the most puissant civil servants (shock, I know). To get around this problem, Joe must go through red tape hell to claim the cost of his medicine which creates additional administration overheads which reduces efficiency in an already direly inefficient government department. By giving Joe and his peers cash, they are free to purchase what they need.

the second issue with food stamps or an equivalent system is the issue of human dignity. Most people out of work are in such dire straights through no real fault of their own. Already, they have to listen to self acclaimed experts telling them that they get too much (based on anecdotal evidence), why make life more onerous for these people? Certainly, cash has the potential to be mis-spent but it also gives an individual some amount of dignity and privacy.

Lastly, I know many people on the dole and they are not people I'm envious of. As I always say, if you feel life would be better for you on the dole, by all means give up the job and join them because there would be plenty of people willing to take you place.

mike65

Means test everything! Starting with non con pensions and child benefit.

miller50841

RichardAnd wrote: »

I can give you a brush but you must supply your own tar. Methinks you will not want for it . . . now then, let me address this without sarcasm.

The idea that unemployment benefits should be food stamps gets thrown about alot on this board, generally in a sentence ending with an exclamation mark. What the champions of this idea either do not grasp or do not care to pay attention to it that giving cash is far more efficient than attempting to set up a voucher system. Allow me to illustrate this.

Joe is on the dole getting 188 euro a week. The system is changed so that Joe will only get vouchers for Tesco to buy what is deemed as essential. The problem is, something Joe needs, medicine for example, is not included on this list of essentials that was drawn up by a group of the most puissant civil servants (shock, I know). To get around this problem, Joe must go through red tape hell to claim the cost of his medicine which creates additional administration overheads which reduces efficiency in an already direly inefficient government department. By giving Joe and his peers cash, they are free to purchase what they need.

the second issue with food stamps or an equivalent system is the issue of human dignity. Most people out of work are in such dire straights through no real fault of their own. Already, they have to listen to self acclaimed experts telling them that they get too much (based on anecdotal evidence), why make life more onerous for these people? Certainly, cash has the potential to be mis-spent but it also gives an individual some amount of dignity and privacy.

Lastly, I know many people on the dole and they are not people I'm envious of. As I always say, if you feel life would be better for you on the dole, by all means give up the job and join them because there would be plenty of people willing to take you place.

But sure they would have medical card so medicine cost nothing and what costs everybody else €50 or more for doctor thats also free

gurramok

Somebody who worked 20years, loses their job and receives the same entitlement as a dole scrounger who never worked is stomach turning. The German system should be introduced.

I'd reduce OPFP and associated benefits like Rent Supplement\Child Benefit. If you have another child while on OPFP and still claim to be a 'single mother' without a partner, you lose all benefits as you are a fraud with no intention of working and contributing.

Single mothers with one child who make an effort to further their education(or get a job) in order to get off benefits deserve merit. Oh and incentivise marriage to help reduce fraud.

RichardAnd

miller50841 wrote: »

But sure they would have medical card so medicine cost nothing and what costs everybody else €50 or more for doctor thats also free

IF they have a medical, I'm sure you mean. There are requirements for such a card (source). Besides, there could be any number of requirements not covered by a hypothetical list of essentials.

In either case, if people are under the belief that unemployed persons live lives of envy, it's unlikely that I will convince them otherwise.

gobblet

RichardAnd wrote: »

There are requirements for such a card (source).

Anyone on the dole would be entitled to a medical card.

RichardAnd wrote: »

Besides, there could be any number of requirements not covered by a hypothetical list of essentials.

There are a few items that are not covered by a medical card but these items are over the counter and could be covered by the voucher system

Vouchers worked in the past so why not now.

Again I think it should be a system that only comes into affect after 5 years or so to target the welfare scroungers rather than people who have just lost their job

Debtocracy

gobblet wrote: »

I work in an area where about 60% of people are on the dole.
They are always telling me about their next holiday to spain
I work fuill time and i can't afford a holiday but i am paying for these people to go on holidays!

Maybe you could seek their advice on how to better manage your finances.

Count Dooku

Debtocracy wrote: »

Maybe you could seek their advice on how to better manage your finances.

like always wear PJ, work for cash, never pay taxes etc

ninty9er

I'm currently on the dole until I start a new job next month. I can't say I've seen a huge decrease in standard of living in the past month while I've been on it. I did have to move back home with my parents, other single people claiming should be expected to do similar or justify why it's not possible.

This whole idea that food stamps etc are degrading is complete and utter tripe. You are identified as unemployed when you go to the post office to collect your dole.

The PPS Card should be usable as a payment method, for essentials only, excluding alcohol and cigarettes. Want them? Get a ****ing job!

gifted

Mininum of 3 years paying tax and prsi before you are entitled to any social welfare, that would encourage the people who never worked nor have any intention of working to find work, any type of work.

Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme to be abolished

gobblet

Debtocracy wrote: »

Maybe you could seek their advice on how to better manage your finances.

They have offered me loads of advise, unfortunately all of it involves ripping off the tax-payer.

An example is to go to your doctor, say you have anxiety and cannot sleep at night and get a prescription.
You will be charged €1 and the state will pick up the balance and you can sell them for €60 on the street.

Thats another thing I would change. Having a bit of anxiety or trouble sleeping is not an illness, I would remove these from the medical card list and only include medication for actual health problems.

mikemac1

Anxiety is a serious issue

I've seen a GP over it though I don't have a medical card, paid myself

But anyway, anxiety can be just as serious to someone as a physical issue
A lot of it can solved with simple sensible steps and a talk with a GP can help a lot, doesn't always need drugs

So maybe not medication but if people need to talk to a GP I don't see an issue with it, mental issues are just as serious as physical

gobblet

mikemac1 wrote: »

Anxiety is a serious issue

I've seen a GP over it though I don't have a medical card, paid myself

But anyway, anxiety can be just as serious to someone as a physical issue
A lot of it can solved with simple sensible steps and a talk with a GP can help a lot, doesn't always need drugs

So maybe not medication but if people need to talk to a GP I don't see an issue with it, mental issues are just as serious as physical

I guess in more severe cases they are necessary but apparently all you have to do is say you are a little anxious to be prescribed them by most gp's.
Another change i would made is to give GP's a budget that they have to strictly adhere too like in the UK so that they have an incentive not to throw out benzo's and sleeping tablets willy-nilly where they are either not necessary or they are selling them on the street

Dacelonid

I would start a system whereby those who have jobs and lose them would be well looked for the first year of unemployment, reduced welfare between 1 and 3 years and nothing after 3.
There would be no welfare for those who can work and choose not too.
Anybody that turns down a job no matter how menial would be cut off for life
Anybody that can't prove they are looking for a job would be cut off for life (all job applications need to be accompanied by a ppsn, and the employer has a legal duty to record the ppsn of all applicants, as well as provide all applicants with a letter stating whether they were successful or not)

Basically I would move us away from the current system where a scrounger can leave school with no more ambition than to spend their days in the bookies or the pub, knowing full well that the state will fund them (and if they are girls, all they have to do is spread their legs for all and sundry knowing the state will once again pick up the tab)

Thats not to say that everyone on social welfare are scroungers, a lot of them would love to work given the chance, and given the premise that they would be better off financially (and mentally) by working, but there are people on social welfare as I described them

rainbowdash

I would link dole to contributions paid, as mentioned elsewhere, the longer you are on the dole the less you get.

To answer the "but there are no jobs out there" argument I would give extra credits for people on fas courses, other job schemes, create work experience positions in all state departments, which would pay the dole but also give bonus credits towards the dole.

Regarding illness benefit, just because somebody has no legs or suffers from depression does not prevent them from working. In line with the dole I would give people on illness benefits bonus credits for attending treatment centres, or create work experience positions in state bodies for people in a wheelchair for example to gain credits.

People who are seriously ill and beyond any of this can go for assessment in a different category.

The above would ease the pressure on the welfare system, however, the dole is acting as a huge stimulus to the economy, feeding cash in every week, so the fundamental saving might not be as much as many of us think.

woodoo

I would follow the German system too. Newly unemployed people deserve a decent rate of Jobseekers allowance. Someone on the dole 2 or 3 years deserves a much reduced rate.

Pensions need to be cut too, they haven't been touched. Childrens allowance is another issue needs dealing with and rent allowance. Lone parents is too high imo also. So much could be changed but she won't touch any of it.

I'd put alot of the savings into state subsidised creches.

doc_17

The mindset of many people in this means that something should really be done.

4 years ago in a school where I used to teach a fellow teacher came into the staff room at break time and told us this story. She had a group of LCA students. One of them wasn't really applying himself (as usual for this waste of space) and she said to him in exasperation "What will you do next year when you're out on the real world and have to make your own way". His reply - "Don't you worry about me Miss, YOUR taxes will pay my dole"

I had one of those JD from Scrubs moments, imaging myself jumping over the table and throttling him had it happened to me!

But that was the kid's mindset - I'll be OK. I'll have enough to get by.

KyussBishop

Every thread on welfare, it's always the scroungers focused on (not wrong to criticize them, but they tend to become the focus of generalizations); the grand majority of welfare recipients right now are out of work because they can't get a job, and most of the methods people propose to employ against the scroungers invariably cut into a swathe of genuinely deserving welfare recipients that legitimately want to work but can't get a job.

Scroungers should be identified and punished, welfare in general needs reduction, and people need to be encouraged more to retrain, but at least have the foresight to see when you are generalizing derision against scroungers to all welfare recipients, and see when presented solutions against scroungers cut into legitimate recipients; it can be quite short sighted.

A gradual reduction in the amount of benefits given over years on dole doesn't make sense either, unless the job market picks up, as again that is punishing people who are legitimately looking for a job but can't get one.

Dole itself should be reduced somewhat to more reasonable levels (and other things like property and the rental market need serious sorting out, which would affect rent allowance), but the reforms needed go far deeper than targeting scroungers with not-so-well thought out policies; they should be targeted and kicked off benefits, but not in a way that collectively punishes all benefit recipients.

woodoo

doc_17 wrote: »

But that was the kid's mindset - I'll be OK. I'll have enough to get by.

And the truth is he will have enough to get by. Rent allowance, Medical Card, Dole and maybe a bit of cash in hand work and he will be laughing. A few years down the line get a girl pregnant, he claims to be back living with his parents.. she gets a council house and single mothers allowance. They can live very comfortably indeed.

waster81

gobblet wrote: »

I work in an area where about 60% of people are on the dole.
They are always telling me about their next holiday to spain and I see them out buying copious amounts of alcohol.
I work fuill time and i can't afford a holiday but i am paying for these people to go on holidays!
I say bring back the voucher system where they can only spend their allowance of essentials and not holidays and alcohol.

The dole should be an emergency payment from the state for essentials until an individual gets a jobs and not be payments for them to live it up.

Food stamps, vouchers for easons - idea been give out vouchers that can only be spent on basic needs for them and their children - stop it been spent on drink

Lawrence1895

The German system also includes cutting down the dole, if somebody refuses to take a job or participate in a training programme. Exceptions are for example looking after a child or a sick family member. It's easy to follow up, FAS and the dole office are under one roof.

Means tests are very popular, too. It just includes more work for the crowd working in the dole office, but they don't mind afaik

zenno

I don't know why so many people here are so harsh in their views of having to pay taxes of which a small amount goes to social welfare.

I payed a lot of tax when I was working for many years and then I became unemployed and you can't manage much on €188 a week but when I get a new job it will not bother me in the least having to pay my taxes because I was looked after by the taxes from working citizens of Ireland, so when I have to pay taxes I will be happy to do so and you will never hear me complain like a lot of people here as I would be happy to give back because of the help I received.

RichardAnd

zenno wrote: »

I would be happy to give back because of the help I received.

The most uplifting sentence I've read on this board today. One thing that sickens me about the modern world is how ingrained the ideal of of "you loose, I win" has become.

woodoo

zenno wrote: »

I don't know why so many people here are so harsh in their views of having to pay taxes of which a small amount goes to social welfare.

A small amount? The welfare bill is 21 billion a year.

okiss

The minster for social protection should end the job bridge scheme as employers are total abusing this. I have seen a number of companies near me who could afford to pay the min wage to someone but are using job bridge instead.
They get some one to work for 6 or 9 months for nothing and then get some one else after this. The goverment are paying this person €50 a week which would hardly cover the travel cost's of getting to work.
Instead there should be a system that if you take a person off the dole and they are working for you for 6 months full time you should be able to claim x amount off you tax bill, prsi and usc bill. After 18 months this amount should be reduced down and after 30 months the employer should not be getting this allowance. This would give a person a chance to work, encourage an employer to get some off the dole and save the employer money if they do this.
Not everyone on the dole see it as a long term life choice. I have a friend who worked for a number of years and not always in high paying jobs. A few times they were on to dole to keep the bills paid until they got another job. My friend is applying for any jobs they see either full or part time and has sent a lot of cv off on spec. Last winter my friend had to fight social welfare to get a fuel allowance which they were entitled to. My friend said meanwhile I see the one who have spent the last 20 years on the dole get everything there entitled to without having as the 3rd degree they had.

zenno

woodoo wrote: »

A small amount? The welfare bill is 21 billion a year.

A small amount of your tax. Do you honestly think all your tax goes to social welfare.

Good loser

I think it would be far better to cut welfare generally by, say, 5% per year each year for the next three years. If it was announced now people could plan for it. Virtually all the money paid on welfare is borrowed.

The current level of welfare payments has not been arrived at through any science or reasoning. Just the conjuncture of FF populism and vote buying and moral cowardice/intimidation. Payments are now higher in real money than in 2008; no wonder we have financial problems when you factor in the huge increase in numbers of claiments.

The minimum wage should be reduced. Charge €2 per prescription and €10 per doctor visit.

zenno

Good loser wrote: »

I think it would be far better to cut welfare generally by, say, 5% per year each year for the next three years. If it was announced now people could plan for it. Virtually all the money paid on welfare is borrowed.

The current level of welfare payments has not been arrived at through any science or reasoning. Just the conjuncture of FF populism and vote buying and moral cowardice/intimidation. Payments are now higher in real money than in 2008; no wonder we have financial problems when you factor in the huge increase in numbers of claiments.

The minimum wage should be reduced. Charge €2 per prescription and €10 per doctor visit.

The minimum wage should not be reduced, jeez what incentive would you have to work if that was the case.

Count Dooku

zenno wrote: »

A small amount of your tax. Do you honestly think all your tax goes to social welfare.

Total tax revenue in 2011 was 34Bn

StillWaters

How would these food stamps/vouchers work?
Someone upthread said Tesco vouchers. So all unemployed people have to shop in a UK owned store and have no opportunity to shop around for locally produced food?
I'm old enough to remember butter vouchers and can remember them being used to buy cigarettes in the corner shop where I worked.
It's just not workable. Would clothes shops take them, including charity shops? Would people over on adverts or donedeal taken them if you wanted to buy second hand school books?

I think there is a huge amount of change taking place in the DSP. The end of double payments, cuts in RA, chasing down fraudulent claims including historic ones, the cuts in age limits for OPFP the piloting of NEES (which is take up training or employment or your welfare is cut).

I would focus on getting rid of universal payments, child benefit, free travel etc. I would also incentivise work more through the tax system.

Sleepy

gurramok wrote: »

Oh and incentivise marriage to help reduce fraud.

Marriage is already heavily inventivised for those working via the ability to share tax credits. For those of us who aren't married (I'm cohabiting with my fiancée and our kids) there's a mad situation whereby I'm not entitled to any tax credits for my other half and she's not entitled to any welfare because she's my "dependent". However, were I unemployed she would be recognised as my dependent and I'd have increased welfare benefits. I've posted the tax details of it before but effectively, should my earnings slip below 40k a year, it's not worth my while to work in this situation.

bleg

Increase funding for services e.g. free school books, free healthy school breakfasts and lunches. Fund this by reducing payments elsewhere e.g. reduced child benefit.

Sleepy

Oh and in answer to the title question: I'd recognise that I'm not fit for public office, resign, sign away my pension rights and seek meaningful employment at a level I was competent for. Shelf stacking or somesuch

McDave

Strictly answering the OP:

- Reduce dole payments down to €150 per week
- Reduce the duration for which payments can be made
- Reduce rent allowance
- Eliminate children's allowance after the second child
- Introduce serious criminal penalties for dole fraud and *implement* them. The culture of entitlement in Irish welfare needs to be eliminated over time

There are other structural problems in Ireland that need to be addressed too that have a direct bearing on welfare:

- We really do need to invest heavily in primary education to make sure every child gets the best possible grounding in life;
- We need to continue the process of regeneration of certain urban areas, and to make sure that anti-social elements in them are not permitted to undermine the quality of the civic experience in them;
- Finally, I've come around to the conclusion that, despite very legitimate civll rights concerns, we need to introduce a compulsory identity card system. We have extensive rights in our system, but the State has almost impossible barriers to mount in ensuring beneficiaries behave responsibly.

McDave

Good loser wrote: »

I think it would be far better to cut welfare generally by, say, 5% per year each year for the next three years. If it was announced now people could plan for it. Virtually all the money paid on welfare is borrowed.

The current level of welfare payments has not been arrived at through any science or reasoning. Just the conjuncture of FF populism and vote buying and moral cowardice/intimidation. Payments are now higher in real money than in 2008; no wonder we have financial problems when you factor in the huge increase in numbers of claiments.

The minimum wage should be reduced. Charge €2 per prescription and €10 per doctor visit.

All great ideas.

With, IMO, one exception. I'd leave the minimum wage as is. It may be high by international standards, but for me it's hard to argue that someone doing a decent job for 40 hours a week is privileged to earn around €350. Especially bearing in mind that those doing anti-social hours are less likely over time to get any premium for them. OK, on principle I'd be inclined to make sure there's some tax and PRSI contribution. But there has to be a significant step up from welfare to an earning job. The minimum wage may hurt SMEs in these straitened times, but there has to be a meaningful incentive to work.

As to the €2 prescription charge and €10 per doctor visit, these are such mind-numbingly obvious initiatives to introduce. Probably the most efficient way to eliminate misuse of our medical welfare system while making it affordable for those with very low incomes.

cristoir

I think it is really very difficult to try to reform Social protection in the midst of an employment crisis. Any attempt would only end up punishing the wrong people. The voucher idea is completely odious. It is humiliating and undignified. Someone who has been working for years and paying PRSI is entitled to spend the money in any way they choose.

Entitlement cutbacks should come when this country is back on it's feet regarding employment. Then I would advocate the German model.

McDave

woodoo wrote: »

I'd put alot of the savings into state subsidised creches.

If McCreevy had done this at the time he was introducing 'individualisation' into the tax regime, he might have saved a lot of families a lot of financial worries.

mikemac1

Good loser wrote: »

I think it would be far better to cut welfare generally by, say, 5% per year each year for the next three years. If it was announced now people could plan for it.

No matter what you do there will be complaints

The Christmas bonus was abolished in April and there was an outcry about how people would struggle

Though if the complainers were unemployed in April how you did they know they would still be unemployed 8 months later

Anyway, Minister Good Loser, it seems sensible and lots of notice given

christmas2012

i would fire joan burton if i was in charge,she would go immediately with her p45,first thing i would do then would be to adjust payments,i would willingly take less pay and expect others in my department to do the same,they can talk the talk,but they certainly cant walk the walk..

femur61

My nephews father has a farm, is working but his son who has never worked wants to sign on. He can't get the dole because he is living at home with his parents. The only way he can get it is move into accomadation where he will get rent allowance. So not only will he get money from the state even he has never in his life had a job but he is going to rent in order to get dole. As I said he is going to take more money of the state becasue he can't claim and live at home.

Cameron is suggesting under 25 should live at home that would save on getting rent money as well.

FreudianSlippers

RichardAnd wrote: »

I can give you a brush but you must supply your own tar. Methinks you will not want for it . . . now then, let me address this without sarcasm.

The idea that unemployment benefits should be food stamps gets thrown about alot on this board, generally in a sentence ending with an exclamation mark. What the champions of this idea either do not grasp or do not care to pay attention to it that giving cash is far more efficient than attempting to set up a voucher system. Allow me to illustrate this.

Joe is on the dole getting 188 euro a week. The system is changed so that Joe will only get vouchers for Tesco to buy what is deemed as essential. The problem is, something Joe needs, medicine for example, is not included on this list of essentials that was drawn up by a group of the most puissant civil servants (shock, I know). To get around this problem, Joe must go through red tape hell to claim the cost of his medicine which creates additional administration overheads which reduces efficiency in an already direly inefficient government department. By giving Joe and his peers cash, they are free to purchase what they need.

the second issue with food stamps or an equivalent system is the issue of human dignity. Most people out of work are in such dire straights through no real fault of their own. Already, they have to listen to self acclaimed experts telling them that they get too much (based on anecdotal evidence), why make life more onerous for these people? Certainly, cash has the potential to be mis-spent but it also gives an individual some amount of dignity and privacy.

Lastly, I know many people on the dole and they are not people I'm envious of. As I always say, if you feel life would be better for you on the dole, by all means give up the job and join them because there would be plenty of people willing to take you place.

I take it you're not familiar with Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) systems. Benefits are automatically loaded onto the card and it can be used in most shops that accept cards for non-alcoholic beverages and food items (not pre-made food, i.e. ready meals etc.)

There is nothing to suggest that in this country we couldn't allow them to work in chemists for medicines.

As for the "human dignity" matter, it doesn't seem to cause any concern to the people queueing up to get their cash does it? They should have to report every 2 weeks to the job centre and show their progress in applying for positions and update on interviews and offers. It would be there that they would get their top-up after satisfying the employee there that they are looking for work. You could also supplement people who take part time employment.

The cards themselves need not look any different to a normal debit or credit card. For example, two designs from the US:




I also believe the German system represents the most fair solution.

christmas2012

They should have to report every 2 weeks to the job centre and show their progress in applying for positions and update on interviews and offers. It would be there that they would get their top-up after satisfying the employee there that they are looking for work.

what if the jobs arent being advertised,how can they apply then?

patrickn

Two area of Irish budget need to be adressed dole and public sector pay. I dont want any ones wages to be reduced but the level of allowances is ridulous. these are now considered part of pay and uneder CP.

Good loser

Count Dooku wrote: »

Total tax revenue in 2011 was 34Bn

Post 29 reports welfare spending comes to €21 bn per year.

This means welfare takes 61.7% of total tax revenue.

Totally unsustainable.

There should be a fixed permanent limit on the % of tax revenue spent on SW.

miller50841

There is so much money going missing in this country its unreal.
The card system is a very good idea the only problem there would be a lot more pub closures.
Living costs need to be tackled and this business of rent allowance needs to be tackled its only still keeping the landlords with a permanent income and rents are way too excessive.
Really hope things change really getting tired of working crazy hours and that when there are people that have no intention of ever standing on their 2 feet.
This is no way a dig at the recently unemployed I really feel for those that are really struggling to get money but system needs complete overhaul...

Kinski

I'd interpret my title literally and protect the social.