I'd like a bonus please.

Xcellor

Whenever I hear this phrase it sort of annoys me.

A bonus is awarded for doing something exceptional/above ordinary so when I hear it used in the context of social welfare recipients it doesn't sit well in my head.

It's also referred to as a bonus in the UK too. Though recipients only get a maximum of £10.

https://www.gov.uk/christmas-bonus

More like Christmas pocket money.

Hector Savage

It's a 'bonus' as it's a more expensive time of the year.
Would you like to be on €188 a week ??
And then an extra €160 (?) for the 'bonus' week ?

I know I wouldn't , I'm quite happy to have a job and get no Christmas bonus - which we won't get, fair enough work stays the same here all year round.

Huexotzingo

Fight!!!:pac:

Sephiroth_dude

Great another dole bashing thread :rolleyes:

PeterParker957

Hector Savage wrote: »

It's a 'bonus' as it's a more expensive time of the year.
Would you like to be on €188 a week ??
And then an extra €160 (?) for the 'bonus' week ?

I know I wouldn't , I'm quite happy to have a job and get no Christmas bonus - which we won't get, fair enough work stays the same here all year round.

No one is EVER just on the basic E188 a week. So that can end right now.

Add up all the other freebies that we have to pay for and they're on a lot more.

Ten of Swords

So call it a non-refundable Christmas grant if it makes you feel better.

PeterParker957

Ten of Swords wrote: »

So call it a non-refundable Christmas grant if it makes you feel better.

Grant for what though ?

Hector Savage

PeterParker957 wrote: »

No one is EVER just on the basic E188 a week. So that can end right now.

Add up all the other freebies that we have to pay for and they're on a lot more.

I still can't imagine they are making as much as a salaried worker.

PeterParker957

PeterParker957 wrote: »

No one is EVER just on the basic E188 a week. So that can end right now.

Add up all the other freebies that we have to pay for and they're on a lot more.

I was for all the time I was on and off the dole. Most people I knew were as well, some on the reduced 100 or 144 rate. Tell me what other freebies I got. Please.

Reati

Hector Savage wrote: »

I still can't imagine they are making as much as a salaried worker.

Not working as hard as a salaried worker either I'd bet....

suicide_circus

I was on it for 6 months at the start of the recession, handy cash for doing **** all tbh

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Hector Savage

Im not saying people don't abuse it, but for most people its a crutch to get through tough times, its not a good position to be in.

Grayson

PeterParker957 wrote: »

No one is EVER just on the basic E188 a week. So that can end right now.

Add up all the other freebies that we have to pay for and they're on a lot more.

I was unemployed for 9 months before I started this job and that's what I was on.

PeterParker957

Grayson wrote: »

I was unemployed for 9 months before I started this job and that's what I was on.

And you got nothing else ? No medical card ? No reduced rate prescriptions ? No contribution to rent ? Nothing ????

Your Face

All of the unemployed are drinking champagne in their mansions and laughing at the OP.

s15r330

PeterParker957 wrote: »

No one is EVER just on the basic E188 a week. So that can end right now.

Add up all the other freebies that we have to pay for and they're on a lot more.

I was on it for 4 years unfortunately when I went back to college and and I got €188 each week, every week.
No more, no less.
So you're talking absolute poo

pgj2015

Xcellor wrote: »

Whenever I hear this phrase it sort of annoys me.

A bonus is awarded for doing something exceptional/above ordinary so when I hear it used in the context of social welfare recipients it doesn't sit well in my head.

It's also referred to as a bonus in the UK too. Though recipients only get a maximum of £10.

https://www.gov.uk/christmas-bonus

More like Christmas pocket money.

why mention what they get in the UK? we are our own country, we don't have to copy everything they do in the UK.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

PeterParker957

pgj2015 wrote: »

why mention what they get in the UK? we are our own country, we don't have to copy everything they do in the UK.

I wish we did - they get a tenner as their bonus.

Permabear

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Would have been "subsidised by the taxpayer" even without the bonus. And anyone with a private pension is subsidised by the taxpayer. And anyone with children. And anyone working for the state. And so on.

cruizer101

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

That list includes many more than what you would think:
Back to Education Allowance (people coming from Jobseeker’s payments must have been on their payment and/or BTEA for 15 months)
Back to Work Allowance
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
Blind Pension
Carer’s Allowance and Benefit
Community Employment
Deserted Wife’s Allowance and Benefit
Disability Allowance
Disablement Pension and Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension under the Occupational Injuries Scheme
Domiciliary Care Allowance (85% of the weekly amount )
Farm Assist
Gateway
Guardian’s Payment (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
Invalidity Pension
Job Initiative
JobBridge (people coming from jobseeker’s payments must have been on their payment and/or JobBridge for 15 months)
Jobseeker’s Allowance (long-term only – over 390 days or 15 months unemployed on JB/JA)
Jobseeker’s Allowance (Transition)
Magdalen Laundry Payments
One-Parent Family Payment
Partial Capacity Benefit
Pre-Retirement Allowance
Rural Social Scheme
State Pension (Contributory), (Non-Contributory) and (Transition)
Supplementary Welfare Allowance (only – over 391 days or 15 months)
Widow, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
VTOS (people coming from jobseeker’s payments must have been on their payment and/or VTOS for 15 months)

Also re the more than 188, I was on it for bit over a year and never received anything other than the 188. There are other conditions attached to other benefits such as medical card and that.

Edit to add above list comes from: https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=105382660&postcount=10

Grayson

PeterParker957 wrote: »

And you got nothing else ? No medical card ? No reduced rate prescriptions ? No contribution to rent ? Nothing ????

I'm trying to remember if I got prescriptions cheaper but I can't remember. I know I got one of those cards so I don't pay more than 50 on drugs but I don't think i ever used it.

I was unemployed for longer than 9 months. I just had savings I used up first. I also borrowed money from family when things got particularly rough and my family paid for a trip to the dentist for me as an xmas present.

Also, I didn't get an xmas bonus. They're only given to long term unemployed. So no-one got any xmas presents except for my niece and nephew. Thankfully they're young so they don't care that much.


There seems to be an image of people on the dole living the highlife. It's not like that for anyone I know. Personally i found it distressing and socially isolating. I was constantly worried about bills. I was always worried i wouldn't have enough to make it to the next week. Food shopping was always buying the cheapest thing and even then I'd compare prices across brands and supermarkets.
It was isolating because i couldn't go to a pub. I couldn't go on a date. I certainly couldn't go to gigs, festivals and everything else my friends were going to. I pretty much stayed at home everyday and applied for jobs.
I know someone is going to reply with "You expect the government to pay for you to go to festivals?". No I don't. I do however expect people to think before they say that people on the dole have a great life. Being on the dole sucks.

Stonedpilot

Xcellor wrote: »

Whenever I hear this phrase it sort of annoys me.

A bonus is awarded for doing something exceptional/above ordinary so when I hear it used in the context of social welfare recipients it doesn't sit well in my head.

It's also referred to as a bonus in the UK too. Though recipients only get a maximum of £10.

https://www.gov.uk/christmas-bonus

More like Christmas pocket money.

Simple quit your job and sign on!.

Stop whinging baby!.

JimmyMcGill

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Think of how many votes that is. Why run the risk of alienating that many voters?

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

PeterParker957 wrote: »

And you got nothing else ? No medical card ? No reduced rate prescriptions ? No contribution to rent ? Nothing ????

I was on it, €188 a week, none of those things. Outof college I was on €100 a week, again no extras. Life of Reilly, I'd a whole 30 quid left after rent!

It's mad all the people in this thread who've been on the basic rate, even though no-one ever is. In your presumably vast first hand experience...?

weldoninhio

Hector Savage wrote: »

It's a 'bonus' as it's a more expensive time of the year.
Would you like to be on €188 a week ??
And then an extra €160 (?) for the 'bonus' week ?

I know I wouldn't , I'm quite happy to have a job and get no Christmas bonus - which we won't get, fair enough work stays the same here all year round.

So it’s only more expensive for people on the dole??

Debtocracy

Average worker take home pay a week = €650
Weekly Jobseekers Allowance = €188
Workers’ weekly Bonus = €462

Xcellor

Definition of bonus

a sum of money added to a person's wages as a reward for good performance.
"big Christmas bonuses"

Since everyone on the previously mentioned list gets it, it's not a bonus. Maybe a subsidy?

Cee-Jay-Cee

For genuine social welfare cases, ie people who worked and lost their jobs then I’ve no problem.

For those who made SW their way of life and have never worked, never contributed to society and who get everything handed to them then they deserve nothing. There are many many people in that category.

Mrs OBumble

PeterParker957 wrote: »

No one is EVER just on the basic E188 a week. So that can end right now.

Add up all the other freebies that we have to pay for and they're on a lot more.

The basic rate went up to is €193 per week. And yes, some people ARE on it.

Typically people on job seeker's benefit not allowance - who won't be getting the extra Christmas payment anyway.

Xcellor

Give me a tax break/credits for December which is proportional to the % welfare recipients get. As mentioned Christmas is expensive for everyone.

It's the season of giving after all.

Omackeral

I think if good honest grafters end up on the dole it's a hard life for them, be that through recession, first in-first out culture or redundancy. It's no picnic and it's isolating as all your peers are in work and you're alone.

On the other hand, if you're the type that's made a lifestyle of it, never intend doing a tap, know how to unfairly bleed the system and surround yourself with people of the same ilk, that's an entirely different ball game.

The two are not comparable.

seamus

It's not a bonus, it's a yearly salary spread out over 54 weeks :pac:

Seriously though, I'd rather they stopped calling it a Xmas bonus. It just gets begrudgers riled up and whingey.

Would you rather go on the dole so that you can claim €160 extra for that week?

Lux23

The only time I ever got a bonus was when I was on the dole, I certainly don't begrudge anyone else receiving now that I am earning proper money and can have a lovely Christmas.

riffmongous

It would be good for the economy too I guess? It'll all be spent on food and presents so the State gets a good chunk back as vat and the rest goes into shopkeepers

Geuze

Give people on SI a bit extra at Xmas.

But not people on SA.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

na1

Hector Savage wrote: »

PeterParker957 wrote: »

No one is EVER just on the basic E188 a week.  So that can end right now.

Add up all the other freebies that we have to pay for and they're on a lot more.

I still can't imagine they are making as much as a salaried worker.

Well, maybe they should find a job then?

na1

Deleted User wrote: »

 And anyone with a private pension is subsidised by the taxpayer. And anyone with children. And anyone working for the state. 

High earner with children don't get subsidized, they get a (small) part of that they payed to the state back.
Working for the state do some service for the people, for example arranging Christmas bonuses to those who entitled.

PeterParker957

My apologies for thinking Jobseeker's was the same as other benefits.

I realise now I was incorrect and I hope you all accept my apologies.

na1

riffmongous wrote: »

It would be good for the economy too I guess? It'll all be spent on food and presents so the State gets a good chunk back as vat and the rest goes into shopkeepers

If the same amount of money is distributed among working people as tax relieves, those money would also be spent on foods and presents.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Knine

Reati wrote: »

Not working as hard as a salaried worker either I'd bet....

Oh I would say a Full Time Carer works far harder then the salaried worker.......... With no lunch breaks, no holidays & certainly no respite

PeterParker957

Knine wrote: »

Oh I would say a Full Time Carer works far harder then the salaried worker.......... With no lunch breaks, no holidays & certainly no respite

Could not agree more.

na1

na1 wrote: »

High earner with children don't get subsidized, they get a (small) part of that they payed to the state back.

How is a Christmas bonus a "subsidy" any more than any other payment from the state?
If we're going to do the adding up of taxes and subtraction of payments thing then I'm sure we'll find a large majority of the population is "subsidised" by the state.

na1

Oh I would say a Full Time Carer works far harder then the salaried worker..........  With no lunch breaks, no holidays & certainly no respite

I would say the Bangladeshi workers have much harder/dangerous work with no lunch breaks, holidays and insurance.
and the don't have even 10th of what full time carer is getting in Ireland. Would you mind sending your own money to support them?

riffmongous

na1 wrote: »

If the same amount of money is distributed among working people as tax relieves, those money would also be spent on foods and presents.

Would it though? I can only speak for my myself but I do get a Christmas bonus and around half of it goes into my savings as I get enough anyway to cover presents and food

na1

Deleted User wrote: »

na1 wrote: »

High earner with children don't get subsidized, they get a (small) part of that they payed to the state back.

How is a Christmas bonus a "subsidy" any more than any other payment from the state?
If we're going to do the adding up of taxes and subtraction of payments thing then I'm sure we'll find a large majority of the population is "subsidised" by the state.

Yes according to the states stats about 50% of the population are "subsidised" by the state. This doesn't meant this is a good thing though...

riffmongous

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

The same reason you'd argue for the taxpayer to subsidise Apple and the like

na1

na1 wrote: »

Yes according to the states stats about 50% of the population are "subsidised" by the state. This doesn't meant this is a good thing though...

It'll be more than that I'm pretty sure.