The Dole

ClareBear

No it's not for me (I'm actually working 2 jobs for the summer and I'm wrecked already and customers are so rude I want to punch half of them in the face but that's a whole new thread)....besides I don't think you can get the dole when you're a student...or maybe you can.....anyway rambling on as usual.....I need to get some info for a friend as to how to apply for the dole and what documents you need. Cheers.

rymus

http://www.oasis.gov.ie/employment/losing_your_job/unemployment_assistance.html

ClareBear

Sound as a pound (yes we were too lazy to look that one up ourselves). Thanks.

eth0_

No, you can't claim the dole for the summer if you're a student. You can claim the dole if you take a year out, though.

rymus

Originally posted by ClareBear
Sound as a pound (yes we were too lazy to look that one up ourselves). Thanks.

no problemo & for shaaaaaaaaaame... SHAAAAAAAME!!!!

DerekD Goldfish

No, you can't claim the dole for the summer if you're a student. You can claim the dole if you take a year out, though.

If youre doing a course where there is an add on diploma or degree you can tell them youre not sure if youre going back and cliam it for the summer.

Third_Echelon

yeah thats doable alright.. a few of my mates did that as the did a cert, then add-on diploma and then add-on degree and they claimed every summer... they just got a letter from the college stating that they were finished and hey presto....

jesus_thats_gre

Well you techinically can claim while your a student.. Technically you are not a student in the summer..

If you are doing a course where you complete a 2 year cert, a 1 year diploma add on and so on, when you finish each step, you are not student until you enroll in college again..

So if you finish ur cert exams in may, u are no longer a student, regardless if u pass or fail. Just work it on the basis that you do not intend to go back to college after ur cert or diploma.

shopaholic

I thought you had to be 3 mths out of college to claim the dole? Was I wrong?

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by ClareBear
No it's not for me (I'm actually working 2 jobs for the summer and I'm wrecked already and customers are so rude I want to punch half of them in the face but that's a whole new thread)....besides I don't think you can get the dole when you're a student...or maybe you can.....anyway rambling on as usual.....I need to get some info for a friend as to how to apply for the dole and what documents you need. Cheers.

Welcome to the real world! Maybe an anger management course might be an idea.

Avoid the dole if you can. Its soul destroying. The experience you get in crappy jobs you'll benefit from for the rest of your life, even if its means you never want one of those jobs ever again.

jesus_thats_gre

Originally posted by shopaholic
I thought you had to be 3 mths out of college to claim the dole? Was I wrong?

obviously.. its a myth created by the dole mafia to keep you away... they tried to intimidate a mate out of the office last week... crazy mofos

mr_angry

Yeah, its bullsh*t. They have a specialist form that you get the college to stamp to say that your course is finished. Once the college stamp it, you're sorted. Of course, they don't want you to know that, but they gotta give it to you if you ask. Don't be put off by their initial response.

Sleepy

Yeah, its bullsh*t. They have a specialist form that you get the college to stamp to say that your course is finished. Once the college stamp it, you're sorted. Of course, they don't want you to know that, but they gotta give it to you if you ask. Don't be put off by their initial response.

Wouldn't it be easier to just get a job? There's no excuse for going on the dole in this country, there's plenty of work going but it seems like a large portion of this country feel that they're owed a living if they can't find a job they deem "suitable" for themselve. Leaching bastards.

jesus_thats_gre

Originally posted by Sleepy
Wouldn't it be easier to just get a job? There's no excuse for going on the dole in this country, there's plenty of work going but it seems like a large portion of this country feel that they're owed a living if they can't find a job they deem "suitable" for themselve. Leaching bastards.

Thats a whole differe=nt debate to be honest. After 4 years of college with no grant, some people want a month or two to recover from it all and decide what next... What is the point in doing a degree in computing for example and then going out to get a job in tesco's where your skills wont be used or appreciated. It can also be quite difficult to get a not skilled job as the employer knows right well you will only be there for the short term and will jump ship at the first oppurtunity!!

Mind you, some are leaching bastards indeed. However, a graduate could be paying more than 100euro a week in tax when they get a job... Maybe they deserve the few weeks now while they can in return for the next 40 years of taxation. I don't really believe this but its a different slant on things... So a recent graduate could sponge of the dole for 3 months and recieve maybe 1200 in payments. Then work for 40 years and contribute at least 100 euro a week for 40 years... 1,200 : 200,000

What about the lazy good for nothing showers who have no intention of working, left school when they turned 16, have not bettered themselves and will not contibute anything in the future? Just because they came from a disadvantaged childhood is not justification.. 300,000 : 0

Who deserves what me wonders?

Farls

I know loads of people at college who go on the dole for the summer, once you get a letter from the college saying your course finished on such a date you normally qualify.

I was going to reply to that "Leaching bastards." remark there but JTG seems to have said what i was thinking.

It's not that easy to get a job for 3 months either, most places won't hire due to the fact that your going to leave, the past 2 years i had to lie and say i wasn't leaving which leaves me with some not so good referee's now!

Lucky enough this year i'm working for myself

Farlz

Sleepy

Fine, take the month or two off. There's no issue there once you don't expect the taxpayer to pay for it. Do you honestly think it's fair to expect those of us working to pay for your holiday? Just because you're educated does not entitle you to live on my tax. I've postgraduate qualifications myself, have worked since I was 15 and been out of work for about 3 months of the last 6/7 years if you add the various stretches between jobs. I never once claimed dole for those gaps even though I was penniless during the gaps: I went out and got another job.

What is the point in doing a degree in computing for example and then going out to get a job in tesco's where your skills wont be used or appreciated

Because, once you get over yourself, you'll realise it makes you a better person if you pay your own way in life. There's nothing wrong with giving an honest day's work in exchange for an honest day's pay and the sooner this country realises that, the sooner Ireland will become a nice place to live.

dudara

I was on the dole for 3 months after I finished college. I don't regret it or feel guilty because I will pay enough tax in the future.

Sleepy

Originally posted by dudara
I was on the dole for 3 months after I finished college. I don't regret it or feel guilty because I will pay enough tax in the future.

Fair enough, just so long as you're okay the rest of the country can go fcuk itself. You don't vote Fianna Fail by any chance do ya?:rolleyes:

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Sleepy
Wouldn't it be easier to just get a job? There's no excuse for going on the dole in this country, there's plenty of work going but it seems like a large portion of this country feel that they're owed a living if they can't find a job they deem "suitable" for themselve. Leaching bastards.

While I can understand where you are coming from, I have some sympathy with people who find it hard to find a decent job. You can have a run of bad look and just not manage to find something you can settle into.

Originally posted by Sleepy
Fair enough, just so long as you're okay the rest of the country can go fcuk itself. You don't vote Fianna Fail by any chance do ya?:rolleyes:

Whats that mean???

Sleepy

I have some sympathy with people who find it hard to find a decent job.

So do I, I had to send out nearly 200 CV's to get the job I'm in at present. Before I got it though I did loads of crap jobs in order to pay my way. I just can't understand how people can be so self-centred as to believe that society owes them a living because they can't find a job they like. Personally, I'd love to be a travel writer, should the tax-payer have to foot the bill for me until I find someone who'll hire me as one?

Whats that mean???

Well, I thought that would be quite obvious. Our government are pretty famous for their self-interest and most of their supporters seem to be the same: self-centred, selfish and ignorant.

RicardoSmith

You'd be crazy not to sign on between jobs and not pay your PRSI. Its very important thats paid up. You'll regret it later if you don't. If your not working and sign on you get credits for those weeks you're not working.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Sleepy
So do I, I had to send out nearly 200 CV's to get the job I'm in at present. Before I got it though I did loads of crap jobs in order to pay my way. I just can't understand how people can be so self-centred as to believe that society owes them a living because they can't find a job they like. Personally, I'd love to be a travel writer, should the tax-payer have to foot the bill for me until I find someone who'll hire me as one?


Well, I thought that would be quite obvious. Our government are pretty famous for their self-interest and most of their supporters seem to be the same: self-centred, selfish and ignorant.

Well you've obviously never worked in a job so bad that you couldn't stand it any more. I hope you never do. Its an awful experience, especially if you really need the money. I wouldn't call being on the dole living. Its more like surviving. Theres no pleasure in it.

Pretty large leap there, being on the dole = Fianna Fail supporter.

jabberwock

verging on OT but heres the question.

working as a seasonal worker.
have 3 week off, no work in the job but will be back after that, for a couple of weeks.
have you any claim to any form of assistance while your not working??

anyone had anything like this here?

TIA

Sleepy

Well you've obviously never worked in a job so bad that you couldn't stand it any more. I hope you never do. Its an awful experience, especially if you really need the money. I wouldn't call being on the dole living. Its more like surviving. Theres no pleasure in it.

Pretty large leap there, being on the dole = Fianna Fail supporter.

In my time I've worked as a carnie, a shelf stacker, a stockroom assistant, a glass collector in a bar, a night porter, a warehouse operative, a cloakroom attendant, various shop assistant postions, really great jobs:rolleyes:

Obviously from having had that many different crap jobs (I've left out the more pleasant of my jobs), I've had one or two that were so bad I've left jobs in screaming outbursts and rows so, yeah, I've had jobs so bad that I couldn't stand them any more. In this country, however, you can always find another job once you're not stuck up about what work you do. I've never gone longer than a month without work because I'm not the sort of person who feels I'm above doing a crap job if it's the only one I can get at a particular point in my life.

Sorry, you seem to have misunderstood me on the Fianna Fail thing. It was the self-centred nature of Dudara's post that made me ask that question.

RicardoSmith

Yes once you're not working you can claim. I do it between contracts. You get about 130 a week. Wouldn't pay for rent and food really would it.

Sleepy

Originally posted by jabberwock
verging on OT but heres the question.

working as a seasonal worker.
have 3 week off, no work in the job but will be back after that, for a couple of weeks.
have you any claim to any form of assistance while your not working??

anyone had anything like this here?

TIA

Yes, you're entitled to the dole in that situation as far as I'm aware.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Sleepy
In my time I've worked as a carnie, a shelf stacker, a stockroom assistant, a glass collector in a bar, a night porter, a warehouse operative, a cloakroom attendant, various shop assistant postions, really great jobs:rolleyes:

Obviously from having had that many different crap jobs (I've left out the more pleasant of my jobs), I've had one or two that were so bad I've left jobs in screaming outbursts and rows so, yeah, I've had jobs so bad that I couldn't stand them any more. In this country, however, you can always find another job once you're not stuck up about what work you do. I've never gone longer than a month without work because I'm not the sort of person who feels I'm above doing a crap job if it's the only one I can get at a particular point in my life.

Sorry, you seem to have misunderstood me on the Fianna Fail thing. It was the self-centred nature of Dudara's post that made me ask that question.

I didn't mean crap as in "not ideal" I mean in that you'd jump off a bridge or go postal if you worked another second in the job. And I mean another second in a job.

The point is that you are entitled to the dole regardless of your lifestyle choice.

Incidentally it can take a few weeks before your application for dole is processed and approved. But its backdated. Personally I think its stupid not to sign on, even if you are looking for a week, thats a €130 you're out of pocket.

Sleepy

Oh, I understood you alright, I've had jobs like that. There's a bit of a difference between signing on for a couple of weeks while looking for a new job or going on the dole because you literally can't find any kind of job than someone who's just finished college deciding to sign on for a few months because they feel like a break after their exams.

You hit on a phrase I think is very apropriate here: lifestyle choice. The dole is social assistance for those out of work because they can't find a job, not a lifestyle choice. Going on the dole for a few weeks/months because you don't feel like working is benefit fraud.

dudara

Sleepy, you don't know a thing about me, so please refrain from making judgemental comments

someone who's just finished college deciding to sign on for a few months because they feel like a break after their exams.

Bo**cks to that

During that time I was looking for graduate work, and I had interviews with Eircom, Ericsson and Meteor, all of whom offered me jobs. However, I decided to return to college to pursue a PhD, and now thanks to my desire to further my education I live on less than E80 a week. I'm no sponger, and can't get a government grant or any assistance to help me out.

I still don't regret signing on for that summer, especially now, when I can't get the government to help me out at all.

Sleepy

Dudara, the government has no duty to help you out. You made your lifestyle choice so don't whine about how little you have to live on. It was your decision to pursue a PHD (and I commend you for it) but you can't expect society to support you while you do it.

RicardoSmith

Actually he has point. You have to be actively seeking work to be able to claim the dole. They will ask for proof that you are looking for work. I was more talking about being a situation where you can't find work because you are off for a few weeks between contracts or jobs and most places won't take you on for that short a time period and you need a bit of cash just to get by. Also if you are say qualified in something you'll find places like shops and bars etc won't take you on either.

My coment about lifestyle choice was referring to the politics reference. If you're not actively seeking work you don't qualify and it would be considered benefit fraud, if you were just looking for a paid holiday.

dudara

I was hoping to get a maintenance grant as an adult independant of my parents to help. However, as I didn't take a break in my education, but started the PhD after my degree, the grant would be backdated to the very first day I started college, and I wasn't eligible for a grant then due to my parents.

So I don't take money from my parents (haven't in 6 years), want to be assesed on my own criteria, and yet I can't.

jabberwock

I never got a grant the first time i was in college. and i never claim any social until i really had to. but i have had some sh!t experiences with that dept.
i returned to college after a break of ~5 years. had been on the dole and then had done a Fás course. So I was expecting, no hoping, that i would get the back to education allowance. so sent off the forms and everything. A month later i went looking to see what the story was. I had been declined, they said I had to be in receipt of a social payment for 6 months before I start college. Dah, they didn't know that i had been in Fás. left hand, right hand comes to mind. so anyways sorted that with a letter. another 2 month wait. I was declined totally because i was going back to do a course a equivalent level of 1 i already had, even though it was in a different field. aarrgh. all this time i was waiting, i could have been told this the first day i looked for it.
as for the maintainence grant I got my application returned to me , asking for all my parents details etc. I rand them up and was told that i had to be over 23 at tje start of the year you are going to college. I tried to explain that i was. in the end, some young 1 had read my date of birth wrong making me younger.
so no back to education and no grant for the 6 months of college. received my grant the smae week i received my first wage from my work experience.
nice but a bit late.

RicardoSmith

If you took a job for 3 months that might be counted as a break, maybe? Of course lots of people have to work and do their degrees at night time. So methinks thou doeth protest too much sire. I'd love to do a full time course. But I have to work to live. C'est la vie.

jesus_thats_gre

Originally posted by Sleepy
Fine, take the month or two off. There's no issue there once you don't expect the taxpayer to pay for it. Do you honestly think it's fair to expect those of us working to pay for your holiday? Just because you're educated does not entitle you to live on my tax. I've postgraduate qualifications myself, have worked since I was 15 and been out of work for about 3 months of the last 6/7 years if you add the various stretches between jobs. I never once claimed dole for those gaps even though I was penniless during the gaps: I went out and got another job.


Because, once you get over yourself, you'll realise it makes you a better person if you pay your own way in life. There's nothing wrong with giving an honest day's work in exchange for an honest day's pay and the sooner this country realises that, the sooner Ireland will become a nice place to live.

Believe it or not, I have never claimed the dole and would prefer never to be in a situation whereby I need to... I have been working since the day I turned 16 which was about a week before I started the Junior Cert and have worked through the leaving and 5 years in college...

Its very easy to take a higher than mighty approach and criticise people for it, but its a bigger problem than a student claiming the dole for three months.

dudara

To qualify as an independant adult, the break has to be a year at least.