'Jaysus, I couldn’t live on €198 welfare a week'

joebloggs32

pjohnson wrote: »

I would have thought it obvious that this is probably why the Irish cant find work

There were tens of thousands of Irish who "couldn't" find work during the Celtic tiger when the number vacancies were greater than those who were unemployed.

Sleeper12

Some are content to live on the dole it for life. (Not everyone by the way). I don't let this bother me. I work & pay taxes. I get my holidays have a nice car /van and mortgage almost paid off.

My children are now in their early /mid 20s. As children they wanted for nothing. Swimming classes, music sports etc.

My quality of life and that of my family is far greater than the guy on the dole. If he is happy with that for his family so be it. It's his loss. I never let it make me feel bad

suicide_circus

if john gives bob free money but tells him some of it needs to go on a house, i'm sorry but bob is getting free accommodation

SuperTortoise

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Pilly has already answered this, but it's worth emphasising.

Actual statistics and academic research do not back-up what you're saying. Most people (in fact, the overwhelming majority) clearly do not choose unemployment as a lifestyle choice.

I never understand why people get so infuriated with statistical blips that are, on the whole of the country's budget, pretty much meaningless. You might as well get het-up about the cost of diplomatic visits and so on.

It's a personal gripe for some people.. I daresay, cranks. Lifetime unemployment expenditure just isn't a significant amount of money in terms of our exchequer expenditure.

In any system, some people will abuse it. Some people are non-employable. What's the alternative? By all means, let us try hard to incentivise empoyment, but if this is what a small minority really, really want; meh. Not much skin of my nose.

So those conducting the research asks those on the dole for a long time is this the life you choose?
How many of them are going to answer honestly do you think?

As for the second half of your post, this 'small minority' are claiming hundreds of millions of Euro annually, and that's just in basic welfare payments, not to mention all the other 'perks of the job'
But sure it's not big a deal is it? At what point does it become a problem? A Billion euro? Tens of billions? where is the line drawn.
At what point does it become a problem?

You do realise this is all funded from the tax we pay every week right?

sashafierce

sashafierce wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Know someone with a trade who did not work between the ages of 20 and 34. In that tine he was only asked to do 1 course which he dropped out of and still received his full dole. This year he is starring a part time arts degree that will take him 8 years to complete all paid for by social welfare. He's also getting back to education and rent allowance. His plan after he finishes is to steady on the dole as he pursues work as a poet or writer.

Someone else I know lost their job due to the company going into liquidation. They signed on on a Wednesday and the following Monday or Tuesday had a letter inviting them to a group netting. That have also had a letter referring them to jobpath today. They signed on last Wednesday.

neonsofa

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Know someone with a trade who did not work between the ages of 20 and 34. In that tine he was only asked to do 1 course which he dropped out of and still received his full dole. This year he is starring a part time arts degree that will take him 8 years to complete all paid for by social welfare. He's also getting back to education and rent allowance. His plan after he finishes is to steady on the dole as he pursues work as a poet or writer.
.

Back to education is only for full time courses.

BillyBobBS

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Some are content to live on the dole it for life. (Not everyone by the way). I don't let this bother me. I work & pay taxes. I get my holidays have a nice car /van and mortgage almost paid off.

My children are now in their early /mid 20s. As children they wanted for nothing. Swimming classes, music sports etc.

My quality of life and that of my family is far greater than the guy on the dole. If he is happy with that for his family so be it. It's his loss. I never let it make me feel bad

Great attitude and the way to view it. It's a small percentage of people who scam the welfare most are decent people who just want a decent paying job.

I laugh at the usual suspects on here getting their knickers in a twist over some lazy fecker who drinks Dutch Gold and has a crap life :pac:

neonsofa

neonsofa wrote:

Back to education is only for full time courses.

Only going of what he told me and others. He's certainly still getting the dole and attends college 1 day a week or so.

Anyone could live on it if they really had to. What's the alternative, just drop dead

neonsofa

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Only going of what he told me and others. He's certainly still getting the dole and attends college 1 day a week or so.

He's entitled to study part time while on the dole. Once he's still available for full time work, or if it's an approved course.

...And Justice

RoboKlopp wrote: »

Anyone could live on it if they really had to. What's the alternative, just drop dead

Well I was made redundant during the recession (only for six months luckily) during that six months, I was pestered every time I signed on with. "Did you get a job yet, well? Did you? Where did you apply, evidence etc"...when I questioned why I was being put under pressure when there were fcukall jobs around, an honest member of the social welfare informed me that I could loose my payments because I was never unemployed and not finding a job.....ANY job would be detrimental to my situation.

Meanwhile......no questions or pressure on the usual folk. I couldn't even get a medical card.

Glad I'm out of that cluster fcuk. I can see how it divides people and forms opinions. But it's the government unwritten policy that creates the divide, they feed it and fcuking well encourage this behaviour.

cbyrd

suicide_circus wrote:

if john gives bob free money but tells him some of it needs to go on a house, i'm sorry but bob is getting free accommodation

What if Bob had worked for 20/10/5 years and paid into a pot John's now taking the money out of to hand to Bob. .. . What if Bob broke is ankle on the job and the job made him redundant and now Bob is spiralling into depression because he can't support his family and is now unfit to work..
There's many stories on the dole. I'd never stand in judgement over anyone. There but for the Grace of God and all that...

kingbhome

I lived on the dole for a few years and getting rent paid. It wasnt a rich life but i could manage to also go out and socialise. I couldnt live on it for life because one needs to get up and work for sanity alone.

billyhead

sashafierce wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

So why don't you report them to Welfare and don't give me the don't want to be a snitch speech as it can be done anonymously.

suicide_circus

cbyrd wrote: »

What if Bob had worked for 20/10/5 years and paid into a pot John's now taking the money out of to hand to Bob. .. . What if Bob broke is ankle on the job and the job made him redundant and now Bob is spiralling into depression because he can't support his family and is now unfit to work..
There's many stories on the dole. I'd never stand in judgement over anyone. There but for the Grace of God and all that...

Agree 100%

But if Bob never worked a day in his life....

Jim Bob Scratcher

sashafierce wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Civil servants are actually even more lazier than people on the dole believe it or not, bloody useless and very well paid for doing nothing.

pilly

SuperTortoise wrote: »

So those conducting the research asks those on the dole for a long time is this the life you choose?
How many of them are going to answer honestly do you think?

As for the second half of your post, this 'small minority' are claiming hundreds of millions of Euro annually, and that's just in basic welfare payments, not to mention all the other 'perks of the job'
But sure it's not big a deal is it? At what point does it become a problem? A Billion euro? Tens of billions? where is the line drawn.
At what point does it become a problem?

You do realise this is all funded from the tax we pay every week right?

Can you give us a source for your figures so?

Research on long term unemployed is not based on asking them a question, it's based on fact, how long they are on the dole.

pilly

Jim Bob Scratcher wrote: »

Civil servants are actually even more lazier than people on the dole believe it or not, bloody useless and very well paid for doing nothing.

Couldn't agree more. Since everyone in here is quoting anecdotes I know of so many civil servants who take their annual 23 days sick leave as a given, in other words extra holidays. Also take every other leave going such as parental leave etc. etc. that people in the private sector don't get. All of this paid for by the taxpayer. And dare ask them to forego their morning tea break because there's a rush on? No such thing as a rush. Know another civil servant who blatantly admitted that he spent at least 30 hours a week studying/dossing in work.

VinLieger

ligerdub wrote: »

So playing the man not the ball basically.

How do you judge a politician when in the voting booth? By what they have said they will do or what they have actually done?

ligerdub

VinLieger wrote: »

How do you judge a politician when in the voting booth? By what they have said they will do or what they have actually done?

I judge the merits of a statement on what is said, not who said it.

Saying you couldn't live on €200 per week at the age of 46 is not some sort of Marie Antoinette-esque comment or boast.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Jim Bob Scratcher wrote: »

Civil servants are actually even more lazier than people on the dole believe it or not, bloody useless and very well paid for doing nothing.

pilly wrote: »

Couldn't agree more. Since everyone in here is quoting anecdotes I know of so many civil servants who take their annual 23 days sick leave as a given, in other words extra holidays. Also take every other leave going such as parental leave etc. etc. that people in the private sector don't get. All of this paid for by the taxpayer. And dare ask them to forego their morning tea break because there's a rush on? No such thing as a rush. Know another civil servant who blatantly admitted that he spent at least 30 hours a week studying/dossing in work.

Well done with the rampant generalisations guys!

Like any job, there are civil servants who are cushy, do the bare minimum, do their best to avoid work.

By the same token, there are many more who work their arses off.

By the way pilly, parental leave is a privilege that civil servants can take, one of the few perks of the job and they don't get paid. If it suits someone to take it, what's wrong with that? There is no type of leave available solely in the civil service that employees get paid for.

pilly

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote: »

Well done with the rampant generalisations guys!

Like any job, there are civil servants who are cushy, do the bare minimum, do their best to avoid work.

By the same token, there are many more who work their arses off.

By the way pilly, parental leave is a privilege that civil servants can take, one of the few perks of the job and they don't get paid. If it suits someone to take it, what's wrong with that? There is no type of leave available solely in the civil service that employees get paid for.

What's wrong with it is it costs the state money, if someone is on leave someone else has to do the job, am I right? Otherwise there's no need for that job.

I think you'll also find that the vast majority of private sector jobs do not offer paid sick leave and those that do would in no way tolerate people taking the amount that the average civil servant takes.

Okay, fair enough on your point about some civil servants working hard. If you mean doctors, nurses, Gardaí etc. I agree with you. If you mean those in office based roles I have to say I've never ever met one who works hard.

vicwatson

That Doherty one is a clown

SCOOP 64

sashafierce wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

who would give these people a job, CV "done nothing for past 10/15 years"
surely must be unemployable.

crossmolinalad

davo2001 wrote: »

What's stopping you working?

looking on a daily base for jobs plenty of letters sent but(almost) no responses from employers and if you get a response its almost sorry have already someone else or not suitable enough for the job
Got those stupid answers even for simple cleaning jobs
Maybe to old for them , living in the middle of nowhere , no decent transport here those things plays a role with them also I think
Have applied for a CE job for 5 years hope to start with that next month
Better that then nothing to do

hytrogen

pilly wrote:

I think you'll also find that the vast majority of private sector jobs do not offer paid sick leave and those that do would in no way tolerate people taking the amount that the average civil servant takes.

That's a matter for contractual terms and conditions you sign up to, it's a free labour market, you don't like what your employer offers chuck it and go somewhere else or get up on that soap box and see where it gets you..

hytrogen

pjohnson wrote:

So you think that the fact that jobs are currently occupied have no effect in how the Irish cannot occupy these jobs?

No I'm saying the majority of those basic grade essential jobs are being occupied by the migrant labour force because they are more adaptive and cheaper labour than the natives. Also the Irish turned their noses up to those jobs the day the tiger started roaring and it's been like that ever since.

pjohnson wrote:

Like even if this is true. Say a firm has 10/10 security guards employed already. How would a new Irish guard a job?

Middle management, it's what we aspire to best

pilly

hytrogen wrote:

That's a matter for contractual terms and conditions you sign up to, it's a free labour market, you don't like what your employer offers chuck it and go somewhere else or get up on that soap box and see where it gets you..

This is always the answer from the public sector as if there are millions of jobs out there in the private sector with the same conditions as there are in the public sector. Believe me there isn't because commercial companies (especially SMES) would go out of business if they offered the same conditions.

It's simple economics which the majority of civil servants don't understand because they never have to think in terms of survival.

BillyBobBS

Sebastian Dangerfield wrote: »

She's right - anyone with a mortgage, material travel expenses and / or full time childcare could not. I certainly couldn't today - when our second child arrives we will be paying €4k per month for our mortgage and childcare, so obviously the dole wouldn't cover that.

But stick us in a council house, no need for childcare and whatever other allowances people on SW get, I don't think we would have a massive drop in standard of living. Definitely some, but not a huge amount.

That will soon change though, when Leo sorts everything out for the likes of us in the next budget. I can't wait.

Haha good luck with that. You mightn't have noticed but Leo "not one red cent" Varadkar is a politician, politicians think in 4 year cycles not long term.

hytrogen

pilly wrote:

This is always the answer from the public sector as if there are millions of jobs out there in the private sector with the same conditions as there are in the public sector. Believe me there isn't because commercial companies (especially SMES) would go out of business if they offered the same conditions.
It's simple economics which the majority of civil servants don't understand because they never have to think in terms of survival.

Come back to me when you've been on both sides of the fence like I have, you'll actually know what you're talking about then.
There are far more perks being in the private than public sector, pay rates, negotiable terms and conditions, bonuses, benefits in kind, opportunity to expand, excel up the career ladder and diverse into new fields of expertise. FREE LUNCH BUFFETS with exciting menus (Google for instance)
Need I go on?

Rikand

Myself and the wife, in different jobs, both got laid off at the same time. We were means tested and currently collect less than the full dole. We have 2 kids and a mortgage.

Its doable, just about, but we basically can't leave the house any day except dole day when we do our weekly shopping and everything else that day

BillyBobBS

Rikand wrote: »

Myself and the wife, in different jobs, both got laid off at the same time. We were means tested and currently collect less than the full dole. We have 2 kids and a mortgage.

Its doable, just about, but we basically can't leave the house any day except dole day when we do our weekly shopping and everything else that day

Sorry for your trouble's. Hopefully things pick up soon.

JimmyMcGill

Rikand wrote: »

Myself and the wife, in different jobs, both got laid off at the same time. We were means tested and currently collect less than the full dole. We have 2 kids and a mortgage.

Its doable, just about, but we basically can't leave the house any day except dole day when we do our weekly shopping and everything else that day

Pity you weren't Syrian.

I often see dole bashing posts on boards and think, "jeez, I hope that they never have to sign on". Jobs aren't for life and people often find themselves in a situation where the dole is the only option for them.

It's not a lot of money - livable, but just that.

pilly

JimmyMcGill wrote:

Pity you weren't Syrian.

And how would that help?

pilly

Deleted User wrote:

I often see dole bashing posts on boards and think, "jeez, I hope that they never have to sign on". Jobs aren't for life and people often find themselves in a situation where the dole is the only option for them.

You will find a lot of people on Boards do have jobs for life and that's how they can look down from their high horses.

ligerdub

hytrogen wrote: »

Come back to me when you've been on both sides of the fence like I have, you'll actually know what you're talking about then.
There are far more perks being in the private than public sector, pay rates, negotiable terms and conditions, bonuses, benefits in kind, opportunity to expand, excel up the career ladder and diverse into new fields of expertise. FREE LUNCH BUFFETS with exciting menus (Google for instance)
Need I go on?

Is that a serious post? This is rather disingenuous if so.

- Pay rates.......you're going to have to explain that one. I understand the public sector has higher rates of pay than the private sector, not the other way around.

- Negotiable terms and conditions.......whereas the public sector use the power of collective bargaining. I suggest this power is stronger than a unionless worker trying to get a raise from his/her boss. The public sector has a better record of increasing salary with time served. The private sector is like a tooth pulling exercise trying to negotiate a salary increase. You have to fight tooth and nail to get a good deal.

- Bonuses. Fair enough, but the reality of these bonuses are that they are probably closer to 2 grand pa rather than the megabucks some people think it is. They are also non existent in many roles. They are significant in terms of potential in the likes of a sales based role but here is the kicker......if your number isn't good you can be kicked to the curb. Let's at least put that in to the mix for comparative purposes.

- Benefits in kind - Fine.

- Opportunity to expand - this happens alright.....by sitting on your arse from 8am to 7pm and being tired to do anything in the evening.

- Excel up the career ladder and diverse into new fields of expertise............this is not exclusive to the private sector. It's also not really representative of it either. If anything I had more opportunities to dedicate time to develop skills in PUBLIC sector roles rather than private sector....and that was in working hours. There tended to be a requirement to develop skills to enhance yourself in the private sector alright, but that was to be done at home in the evening or at weekends.....not exactly the same thing!

- FREE LUNCH BUFFETS with exciting menus (Google for instance)....hahaha brilliant! Yeah, because every company is like Google. Let's not forget the rationale of what Google are playing at there. They also have beanbags and nap-pods I understand. Google are doing all they can to have their staff comfortable there, because they want them there all long as physically possible. I guarantee the guys at Google work monstrous hours. This is not a perk.

I've worked in both the public and private sectors too by the way. Were it not for the fact that I hated the job in the public sector (because of the work not the conditions) I gladly would have stayed in that seat for years and years. I'm not knocking how the public sector treat their employees by the way. If anything I think the private sector could embrace more of their ethos, but let's not pretend people are missing a trick here, because they aren't.

hytrogen

ligerdub wrote:

Is that a serious post? This is rather disingenuous if so.

This is AH, anything is possible..
Begins socioeconomic rant:

ligerdub wrote:

- Pay rates.......you're going to have to explain that one. I understand the public sector has higher rates of pay than the private sector, not the other way around.

Jobs are advertised all the time for similar work and varying pay, you as an employee have the choice in which you wish to work with, generally speaking everyone always goes for the better wage, we all know why.. strippers and steak

ligerdub wrote:

- Negotiable terms and conditions.......whereas the public sector use the power of collective bargaining. I suggest this power is stronger than a unionless worker trying to get a raise from his/her boss. The public sector has a better record of increasing salary with time served. The private sector is like a tooth pulling exercise trying to negotiate a salary increase. You have to fight tooth and nail to get a good deal.

Collective bargaining gets your pension and PRD shafted long term, like that last €1k every CS got to not threaten strike action for a while, yeah they went up in pay increments but that costs you more in your PAYE/PRSI and less in your pocket depending on your increment which you were on. A lot who were in long term were at the brink of reaching the higher grade of tax and that increment pushed them over it into the hurt zone where you pay more tax than than what goes into your pocket when you reach the second band of tax..
Private entrepreneurs can quite easily walk into their boss and say I want a pay rise, the boss either values you and accept your challenge in return for more hard work and responsibilities or shows you the door, either way you'll get more money or be inspired to find a better paying company to work for.

ligerdub wrote:

- Bonuses. Fair enough, but the reality of these bonuses are that they are probably closer to 2 grand pa rather than the megabucks some people think it is. They are also non existent in many roles. They are significant in terms of potential in the likes of a sales based role but here is the kicker......if your number isn't good you can be kicked to the curb. Let's at least put that in to the mix for comparative purposes.

An old colleague of mine in the CS has a brother who makes the same as his annual salary circa 60k before tax, in bonuses a month....

ligerdub wrote:

- Opportunity to expand - this happens alright.....by sitting on your arse from 8am to 7pm and being tired to do anything in the evening.

Again bight the bullet and start your own company, with blackjack and hooker's... aww screw you guys!

ligerdub wrote:

- Excel up the career ladder and diverse into new fields of expertise............this is not exclusive to the private sector. It's also not really representative of it either. If anything I had more opportunities to dedicate time to develop skills in PUBLIC sector roles rather than private sector....and that was in working hours. There tended to be a requirement to develop skills to enhance yourself in the private sector alright, but that was to be done at home in the evening or at weekends.....not exactly the same thing!

More companies are coming out funding further education for employees to keep them upskilled and enthusiastic where as the CS you have to take a career sabbatical and maybe get funded through SUSI? Depending on how they means test you

ligerdub wrote:

- FREE LUNCH BUFFETS with exciting menus (Google for instance)....hahaha brilliant! Yeah, because every company is like Google. Let's not forget the rationale of what Google are playing at there. They also have beanbags and nap-pods I understand. Google are doing all they can to have their staff comfortable there, because they want them there all long as physically possible. I guarantee the guys at Google work monstrous hours. This is not a perk.

Hey don't knock free food, you don't cut the hand that feeds the mouth and there's only so many roast dinners you can eat in a CS canteen a week!

ligerdub wrote:

I've worked in both the public and private sectors too by the way. Were it not for the fact that I hated the job in the public sector (because of the work not the conditions) I gladly would have stayed in that seat for years and years. I'm not knocking how the public sector treat their employees by the way. If anything I think the private sector could embrace more of their ethos, but let's not pretend people are missing a trick here, because they aren't.

No question about that

crossmolinalad

crossmolinalad wrote: »

looking on a daily base for jobs plenty of letters sent but(almost) no responses from employers and if you get a response its almost sorry have already someone else or not suitable enough for the job
Got those stupid answers even for simple cleaning jobs
Maybe to old for them , living in the middle of nowhere , no decent transport here those things plays a role with them also I think
Have applied for a CE job for 5 years hope to start with that next month
Better that then nothing to do

I get that. I really do. I returned to Ireland a few months ago, and there's just very little work around where my family live (my parents have been sick which is why I returned). Just some sales jobs with very low possible returns. I applied for the dole/health card, and then, got told that I couldn't prove that I was back in Ireland permanently. So. No dole for me. Seems I'm not allowed to have foreign bank accounts with minor savings. Doesn't matter that I've been paying tax on my property/mortgage while I was outside Ireland. The only thing that mattered was that they made it difficult for me to get on the dole...

So, I'm reskilling. The Internet is a wonderful resource, and after two months, I'm already earning more than I would have received from the dole, and I don't have a direct employer.

Each time I went into the dole office, I saw the same people collecting the dole. I don't have a problem with the dole, per se. I do believe that it should be for more than 198 euro a week... but... There has to be a cut-off point. Some deadline that pushes people to reskill and find other sources of income. Nobody should be on the dole past a year... If they're genuinely disabled, put them on a different disability benefit, but not the mainstream dole.

I've obtained a reasonable level of html, css, php in two months of learning and practice. I'm making money by selling that online for smaller amounts (I'm earning slightly more than the dole now through a variety of online grunt work), and I've still got time to study Python and Jquery now.

Annasopra

Cina wrote: »

We've the highest dole in the world.

We do in our sh1te

Annasopra

Dohnjoe wrote: »

It's a lazy/stupid subjective statement that implies social welfare in Ireland isn't enough - when it's one of the most generous in the world

Bollox it is the generous in the world. The absolute and utter nonsense that gets peddled here.

Annasopra

sbsquarepants wrote: »

If they give you what basically amounts to a free house - it kinda takes the sting out though.

I couldn't live on 193 / week - but if someone also paid my mortgage for me, I reckon I could get by easy enough!

Yeah you do know of course that if you lost your job the state would not pay your mortgage!

Annasopra

somefeen wrote: »

I'm curious how people stay on the dole long term.
People in these threads always talk about how long term dole recipients should be made work etc.
But isn't that the system we already have?
If your on jobseekers allowance for more than a year you get put on the dreaded JobPath scheme.
When you sign on first you have to make a personal progression plan with a case officer. Your expected to get yourself onto courses, schemes etc to get back to employment ASAP.

I was on jobseekers allowance for a year and had to regularly prove I was looking for full time work and sign up for a course.
There are are CE schemes, Tús schemes that will make you work for your dole.

Do the people complaining about our welfare system actually know how it works?

No they just like to rant about free things and a culture of entitlement and how xy and z should be done even though they alreasy are.

King of Kings

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

No they just like to rant about free things and a culture of entitlement and how xy and z should be done even though they alreasy are.

let me tell you a dole story that is on going maybe in your wisdom you can advise me.
I know a guy been somebody I've known well for 25years.

he was made redundant in june of this year and received a decent payoff ( 50k and change - tax free of course)

He then goes to the dole and applies. He actually tells the lady when doing his application "I want to take the summer off" she replies that "you can't say that...or you won't get the dole" and then coaches him into what he "should" say.
so he starts getting his payment....


anyway fast forward some time ( to 2 weeks ago)

he then decides he wants retraining ...and the dole agree to put him on the following courses:

lean sigma 6 - green belt
Prince2
and some advanced excel course.

Now this upsets me greatly....
this guy is no long term unemployed needing retraining to get entry level ...he was a manager in tech support and can easily get some job.
These course are job-improvement rather than helping him getting a job.

But the dole are paying for him to do expensive courses (for free - approx 4.5k in total I'd say...) and in the number of courses that wouldn't be available to a working person.

What employer would pay for an employee to do these courses in quick succession...? I'd say ( I work in IT) I'd be lucky to get my employer to pay for that number of courses in 8 years....
Or if I paid myself , could I drop 4.5k and use up leave to do them on my own time....not likely....

This guy told me all this himself....so it is from the horses mouth.

I don't begrudge a 190e or so payment,...it's the extra benefits that the working person could never hope to access.
His kid will now have medical card whereas I have to fork out 60e for d-doc for mine...that rots my hole.
I'd love those courses myself they'd get me a promotion (I've prince2 already paid for myself btw) but these lads are getting them handed to them with no graft on their part.

this is part of the social welfare bill to the state...the money could be use elsewhere and layabout and chancers be told to f off and work in the mines if needs be.

Tell me my rant is unreasonable.

donegaLroad

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Nor could most working people but many people on the dole also get rent supplement, free medical/doctor, free child care, free education, fuel allowance etc etc and don't have the same expenses as someone working and paying a mortgage, childcare, doctors fees, etc etc

When everything else is taken into consideration the dole is a very reasonable amount of money compared to many other EU countries...hence the reason welfare tourism is a booming business here.

During the Icelandic volcano eruption when all the flights were cancelled across Europe, 3,500 people failed to sign on in Ireland during that particular week.

neonsofa

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Each time I went into the dole office, I saw the same people collecting the dole. I don't have a problem with the dole, per se. I do believe that it should be for more than 198 euro a week... but... There has to be a cut-off point. Some deadline that pushes people to reskill and find other sources of income. Nobody should be on the dole past a year... If they're genuinely disabled, put them on a different disability benefit, but not the mainstream dole.

Not being funny but if the same people were in the dole office every time you went in,those people could also be saying the very same thing about you. You were there each time they went in.

Also the dole payment is collected in the post office not the welfare office.

neonsofa

neonsofa wrote: »

Not being funny but if the same people were in the dole office every time you went in,those people could also be saying the very same thing about you. You were there each time they went in.

You're right about their perception of me. Perhaps they stopped going there after those five times, just like I did.

My point still stands though. Nobody should be allowed to stay on the dole past a year... Unless they have a genuine disability. There are options for reskilling and making an income.

Also the dole payment is collected in the post office not the welfare office.

Ahh well, I didn't get the dole. (Wasn't eligible because I wouldn't shut down my overseas bank accounts). Not sure of the procedure involved. Don't they still have to visit the welfare office and sign off for it?

Kirby

Deleted User wrote: »

My point still stands though. Nobody should be allowed to stay on the dole past a year... Unless they have a genuine disability. There are options for reskilling and making an income.

People with a disability are on disability allowance mate. They aren't on the dole unless they are waiting to be proccessed. You do know that right?

"Reskilling" is very easy to type. And even easier to say aloud. But if you spend a couple minutes actually thinking about reality......your perspective might change.

Imagine you are 50 years old. You have worked in the same company since you were 18. You are laid off.

How confident are you in having to leave the industry and job you know behind and learn something very new and alien? You have to compete with younger people who are already way ahead of you. And you think to yourself, "What company is going to hire an old goat like me?"

Thankfully, I'm not a 50 year old who lost his job and has to deal with this hypothetical problem. But I can empathize. I can imagine. I can put myself in this persons shoes.

After I do that, I'm less likely to make glib comments about how easy it is to reskill and find new work.

neonsofa

[Deleted User] wrote: »

You're right about their perception of me. Perhaps they stopped going there after those five times, just like I did.

My point still stands though. Nobody should be allowed to stay on the dole past a year... Unless they have a genuine disability. There are options for reskilling and making an income.



Ahh well, I didn't get the dole. (Wasn't eligible because I wouldn't shut down my overseas bank accounts). Not sure of the procedure involved. Don't they still have to visit the welfare office and sign off for it?

You go to sign on yes. Or to avail of the reskilling, training and CE schemes (dsp refer you) and discuss career planning generally. Or to drop in dockets for days you don't work if your work hours are reduced. Or to sign for credits only. Or jobseekers benefit which is based on the prsi you've paid while working. Or jobseekers allowance in genuine circumstances in the same way you were trying to.

somefeen

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Ahh well, I didn't get the dole. (Wasn't eligible because I wouldn't shut down my overseas bank accounts). Not sure of the procedure involved. Don't they still have to visit the welfare office and sign off for it?

Really curious about this. I moved back in similar circumstances with a UK bank account and I don't remember being asked to shut it down.
Unless there was another reason, like you had a huge amount of savings I think you should have appealed it. Intreo are notoriously inconsistent and inefficient.