Has anyone had help from Vincent De Paul or Community Welfare?

LegacyUser

Going unregistered to ask this.

I could really do with a little financial help at the moment. I haven't been working recently (health reasons) but am now in a position to start applying again. I'm hoping to work in hospital labs but before I can apply for the jobs I want I need to register my qualifications which costs €200 and certainly doesn't guarantee a job but I'm hoping to get a job as I do want to go back to work.

I also want to learn to drive and a course of 10 lessons will cost €350. I have had a few lessons in the past but really want to get back to it. I'm an only child so I have no brothers or sisters to help with lessons, my dad has passed away and I live a few hours away from my mother so I really do have to pay for lessons as I have nobody to help me.


The only way I can pay for these things just now is using my overdraft or credit card which I recently got a consolidation loan to clear. My credit rating is good and I was working when I applied for credit card, overdraft, etc but I'm nervous about running up more debt especially when I don't have a job lined up anytime soon. My only income at the moment is jobseekers allowance €198 and I'm paying the consolidation loan and bills (not rent) out of this.

So I'm wondering if I could apply to the Community Welfare officer or the Vincent de Paul for some short term help. I'm embarassed about this because I'm not the sort of person who's comfortable asking for handouts but today I've been thinking I'm going to accept all the help I can get to get my life back on track.

So I'm wondering would I even qualify for any sort of financial help. I feel that there must be lots of people much worse off than me with children who are probably more worthy than me.

If anyone thinks I might be worthy of some short term help and knows how I could go about asking or what the procedure is I'd really appreciate it if you could let me know.

Thanks for reading this.

LegacyUser

You would be likely to get assistance from the VDP for registering your qualifications as it would enable you to work, but you'd be highly unlikely to get assistance from the CWO or the VDP for driving lessons as that is a luxury, not a necessity. Contact the VDP and explain that you need assistance of 200 in order to do re-register your qualifications. They are near certain to help, if not to cover the lot at least to contribute something towards it.

Try not to feel bad about your current circumstances OP, sometimes in life you just have to put your pride in your pocket and get on with things. Good luck.

MizzLolly

I've no idea how you'd go about getting financial help but stop feeling so bad about it. Don't be scared to ask for help if you need it. No matter what the situation.


Good luck

Kristopherus

If you are on Jobseekers Allowance you may qualify for Rent Allowance from the local CWO. If you have been working and have a PRSI record you may qualify for Jobseekers Benefit, which is an entitlement, rather than the Allowance which is subject to a means test.

SarahMc

A really good starting place is MABS. They will advise you of your entitlements and can make representations to VdP on your behalf, or get a social rate (very low interest rate) loan from the credit union.

BankMan

+1 on the MABS advice

LegacyUser

Thanks for your replies. I had an appointment with MABS a while ago and the man I met said I was managing my money very well and that what I needed to do was to generate more income. Kind of knew that already but I agree the service they offer is great.

Was thinking is there any way the Social Welfare would help me pay to register my qualifications? It is for the sole purpose of getting a job after all. I've seen posts on other threads saying they sometimes pay gas or ESB bills for people.

If I was to ask the Vincent de Paul for some help how would I go about it? Their website is aimed more at people who want to donate. Would I have to go to an interview to explain why I need help or would someone visit me?

If I don't ask for some help I'll just be running up more debt paying myself.

Grawns

You can afford to put €200 on your credit card especially when you need this to get a good job. Sorry but I think you sound tight rather than in financial trouble. And as for the free driving lessons sure why not throw in a request for a free car and insurance and tax too.

Lizzykins

From what I know of St v De P I don't think they'll help with registering qualifications. I believe they help with food and utility bills and clothing if needed.

CathyMoran

Why dont you apply for a job where your qualifications are not needed then save up money to pay to register your qualifications? Sorry, but I dont think that you should get money from the VDP as you are not in dire financial straits.

Wibbs

+2 on MABS.

While Grawns is a tad blunt about this, I can see the point.

Now I could be wrong and while money may be tight at the moment, I don't see you in the position of not knowing where your next meal is coming from. It sounds more like a mismanagement of money and not salting some away for a rainy day. Common enough these days, with cheap(ish) easily available credit and 15 years of relatively easy economic prosperity for many if not most. It has led in some to a lack of frugality compared with previous generations. Obviously the health issues would impact this even more.

I would completely forget the driving lessons as they are a luxury for the moment(unless you require a full licence for employment). The qualifications are clearly a more pressing need. 150 quid less than driving lessons and well worth the money by comparison.

You could also try and get a job which doesn't require those qualifications especially if it was in a related field? Is that possible.

Xiney

I certainly wouldn't be going putting more money on credit cards that you might not pay off.

However, possibly the route of working some temporary minimum wage job in order to save for the registration (you'll earn 343 working 40 hours) is the way to go.

LegacyUser

Again thank you for the repiles.
Yes I can put costs on credit card but all I can afford to repay is the minimum amount every month and I’m very cautious about running up more debt. I’m not tight Grawns, I have personal debt of about €5000 (not all since I stopped working). I’ll always offer to pay, buy very generous presents, etc. Nobody knows I’m worried about money.
Wibbs and Cathy you are both correct I’m not in such dire circumstances that there’s no food on the table. Being able to drive would increase the number of jobs I could apply for. I’m looking for a lab job preferably in a hospital but would apply to pharmaceutical companies if I could get there. The ones in my area don’t have a good public transport system and sometimes shifts finish during the night.
Getting a minimum wage job (If anybody would even give me one) is difficult too these days. I want to put all of my energy into getting a job based on the 5 years I spent at UCD and if that doesn’t work within a few months then I’ll have to consider other jobs.
The Vincet De Paul pay for holidays for some families which I wouldn’t consider to be a necessity and that’s why I was wondering if I could qualify for some short term help. I feel bad for even asking now.
I posted that I’m trying to improve my circumstances. A minimum pay job wouldn’t do that. I’d have to pay rent out of the €343 I’d get which would leave me with €25 more than I have now every week. Not even enough for 1 driving lesson. I'll probably end up adding it all to the credit cards and overdraft and hoping for the best.

Wibbs

They organise holidays for people who've never seen outside their area. People who've lived from hand to mouth for most of their lives. Big diff.

Sorry if I come across as not sympathetic. I am and I agree low end jobs are hard to get these days, but if you play your cards right the this is a glitch in your life, not a life of penury ahead of you. You have a good qualification so sort that first.

Can you move back home and get rid of the rent millstone around your neck? Even until you get back on your feet. Would there be more or less jobs options where your mother lives?

The_Conductor

With all due respect- just because you spent 5 years in UCD, does not entitle you to expect to walk into job in your chosen profession. I think that while your lab job should be an "aim" for you- that under no circumstance should you discount any other employment opportunities that present themselves. It took me almost 8 years to get into an area in which my academic qualifications could be put to good use. In that intervening time I worked numerous part-time jobs, I took several contract positions- I worked in a call centre, a bookshop, a grocers, I ran a gardening business, I gave ECDL lessons, I did the IT work for several solicitors and doctors practices- I did whatever it took. You seem to have pidgeon holed yourself into a particular mindset- where you are going to put all your efforts into a hospital/pharmaceutical lab job, and not any other areas whatsoever for a number of months. While there is nothing wrong with seeking a job in an area you are qualified- its a simple fact that the job market has changed, and you cannot afford to be as choosy as you might once have been.

With regard to driving lessons etc- as pointed out by others in this thread- they are a luxury rather than a necessity. In bygone days (not so long ago) very few of us had cars- we didn't allow this to rule our lives. I've walked from just outside Newry to Carlingford while on workplacement with Coillte several times, because I needed to experience in a particular professional area and couldn't afford transport. I also camped on OPW property while on student placement with them because my student stipend did not extend to covering accommodation. You do need to accept that if you are serious about pursuing a career in a particular area that you may have to endure small hardships towards your end goal.

I really do not understand why you have to buy people "expensive presents"- its obviously a drain on your finances, and one you cannot afford- there is nothing wrong with putting your thinking cap on and if you really need to get someone a present coming up with something thoughtful that doesn't cost all that much. Can you cook- can you bake? Could you do a little voucher for someone offering to spend 10 hours helping them clean their house or something- these are all things that most of us used do.

You have a credit card and an overdraft facility. Paying the EUR200 to register your qualifications is one weeks cash for you (outside of your rent). Would you be seriously inconveniencing yourself by setting yourself goals to pay it on the card and clear it in 4-5 weeks? It sounds doable.

Sorry for not being entirely sympathetic- but a lot of us have been in far more serious financial situations than you and lived to tell the tale. You do need to seriously sit down and evaluate what your objectives are and chart a course to achieving them. Remember- Rome wasn't built in a day, its unrealistic to expect to walk into your dream job, it will take a lot of work and hard effort to get there.

Meathlass

Hi OP. I'm a volunteer with VDP. If you want some assistance you need to write a letter and go to your local Catholic Church, they should have a box there for VDP - all totally anomysus of course. If you can't find somewhere to post it then just address it to the parish priest and it'll get to the right place. You need to state clearly what you want and what you're trying to achieve. Too often we get letters that are just a list of woes and it's hard to figure out what the person actually wants. I wouldn't even mention the driving licences - definately a luxury unless you had a job that you needed to drive to (but how then would you pay for a car/tax/insurance?).

You did the right thing by going to mabs as that's what we ask all our clients to do. We'd give an average of 40 euros a week in supermarket vouchers to clients - this is usually for groceries and fuel. Occasionally we help with bills. First thing I would do is ring your the consolidation company and tell them your situation and ask them to suspend the interest on your loan for a set period (say 3 months). It's worth asking. At the moment you are just paying the minimum so you are running to stand still. If you've no interest to pay then the capital amount will slowly decrease. TBH I would just pay for the registration on your overdraft, sometimes you have to spend money to get ahead. Certainly contact the community officer as well as they may be able to help as it's for work. If Community Officer won't help then contact VDP and state clearly that the money is required for reregistration in order to look for work.

Stop buying presents for people or thinking you have to put up a good show. If your friends know you're on the dole then they shouldn't expect anything from you. Just to clear up any misapprehensions - VDP don't pay for people to have a week in Spain! We might pay for a family to spend 2 days at the seaside in a budget hotel in Ireland - this for kids who might live 30 miles from the sea but have never been there. The level of poverty some people are in is astonishing and no one ever knows, least of all the neighbours.

MistyCheese

When my husband was a child his family were well taken care of by St. Vincent de Paul. He's in his thirties now and is still grateful.

How Strange

OP, I agree with the general opinion that driving lessons and professional registration fees are not really the types of things you should be going to the SVP for when you have means of paying them yourself.
It seems to me that you've gotten yourself into a rut where you're afraid to run up any sort of debt. €200 on your credit card isn't alot of money and it can easily be paid off within a month or two even on a tight budget.
As regards job seeking, you need to get realistic about that. Go to your local supermarkets and anywhere else that are hiring and apply for a job while you're looking for a position in your area of qualification.

I've sat on interviewing panels before and if I had two candidates infront of me with the same qualifications and one worked in a low paid job while looking around and the other didn't I have to say I would favour the first candidate. IMO it gives a bad impression that someone thinks they are 'too good' or 'too qualified' for certain jobs so won't do them.

LegacyUser

Thanks for your replies, especially Meathlass. I feel bad for asking now, clearly my circumstances are not so bad that I could ask VDP for a little short term help.

Just to be clear it's not €200 debt I'm worrying about, I can easily pay that off if I get a job, it's the fact that the personal debt is already at €5000 and I'm very nervous about letting it go any higher in case I can't find a job.

The personal loan, credit card, my bank account is all with Bank of Ireland so I don't how accomodating they would be about suspending interest.

smcarrick I have worked in bars and supermarkets in the past and the "lab job" isn't my dream job but it's what would work best for me right now. In my previous post I explained that I would only have €25 a week extra by working 40 hours at minimum pay. That's really not the sort of improvement I was hoping for.

I posted the thread to say that I'm trying to improve my life and am looking for any help I can get to to that. I don't plan on being a burden on tax payers for ever but as Meathlass explained "sometimes you have to spend money to get ahead".

sunnyside

I think some of the replies on here are a bit harsh. The OP sounds like someone who wants to make something of his life and I don't think "get a minimum pay job to save money" is the solution. I took an unsuitable minimum pay job a few years back with the intention of getting a better job when I could and I still regret having done that. It was demoralising and impossible to get time off for interviews. I eventually escaped but long term it actually set me back in my career.

The_Conductor

sunnyside wrote: »

I think some of the replies on here are a bit harsh. The OP sounds like someone who wants to make something of his life and I don't think "get a minimum pay job to save money" is the solution. I took an unsuitable minimum pay job a few years back with the intention of getting a better job when I could and I still regret having done that. It was demoralising and impossible to get time off for interviews. I eventually escaped but long term it actually set me back in my career.

What the OP is proposing is to dedicate a number of months to seeking that "ideal job", and is seeking information on how to fund his/her outgoings for that interval.

I don't think we're being particularly harsh on the OP- on the contrary I think we are being very realistic.

The jobs market has deteriorated significantly in the past few months. There are very few places hiring, and those that are, are mostly on shortterm or temporary contracts. It makes far more sense to try to manage as best you can, while seeking to get that better job- instead of focusing solely on getting that better job, to the exclusion of any and all other opportunities that may arise.

We all have had jobs that we regret doing- some of them can be totally soul destroying (you cannot begin to imagine the daily abuse working in a callcentre). We don't do them because we like the job- we do them because we have to pay the rent, put food on the table, pay off the bank manager, pay our bills. Its a necessity, rather than an ideal. Once you have the necessities covered you can aspire to greater things.

Its more a case of people wondering why the OP should assume that the state and/or other organisations will cover their necessities, and indeed luxury items, while they dedicate themselves to seeking their ideal job?

sunnyside

smccarrick wrote: »

What the OP is proposing is to dedicate a number of months to seeking that "ideal job", and is seeking information on how to fund his/her outgoings for that interval.

I wouldn't mind smebody claiming welfare payments for a few months, maybe a year max to give them the best opportunity to get a good job. If the person ends up with a good job they will be paying a lot of tax so the government will more than get it back. It's the people who avail of benefits and have no intention of ever working you should be giving out about.

Also some people are "better off on the dole" because they get extra money for their wives and children which adds up to more than they would get if they worked for minimum pay. A total disgrace in my opinion.

kmick

Do you have a car currently? Can you ask a friend to give you driving lessons? If you have a car there should be someone you can ask to teach you. If not its the bus for you my poor child.

The_Conductor

sunnyside wrote: »

I wouldn't mind smebody claiming welfare payments for a few months, maybe a year max to give them the best opportunity to get a good job. If the person ends up with a good job they will be paying a lot of tax so the government will more than get it back. It's the people who avail of benefits and have no intention of ever working you should be giving out about.

Also some people are "better off on the dole" because they get extra money for their wives and children which adds up to more than they would get if they worked for minimum pay. A total disgrace in my opinion.

The way the dole and associated payments are structured, does make a bit of a mockery of people who are willing to get out and do a decent day's work. Its set at a level of 1/2 the average industrial wage- and then incremented with rent allowance and other possible top-ups. Even with a very generous minimum wage- its difficult to justify working when the hand-outs are pegged so high. If rent/mortgage payments and associated disbursements (but not the dole itself) are removed from the equation- on average you would have to earn just over 36k to be financially better off than claiming social welfare (of course this varies greatly depending on family circumstances and whehter things like medical cards etc are factored into the equation- it could actually be a good deal higher- if not, it could be much lower).

In order to claim the dole you have to be actively seeking employment. Not a specific job, just employment, period. The OP is not available for employment- they want to dedicate themselves to searching for a particular job.

My point above is simply that you cannot assume that a decent qualification in a particular area is sufficient to gain employment in that area any longer. We had it very easy for the past few years- you had your pick of whatever you wanted to do. This scenery has changed markedly of late.

The purpose of social welfare and assistance by organisations such as the St. Vincent de Paul, is not to allow someone to cherrypick what they want to or do not want to do. Its to provide for the most basic and fundamental of needs. Driving lessons does not equate to a "need" as such- and arguing that deprived children who have never had the luxury of travelling a few miles to see the sea is in the same category as driving lessons is stretching credulity to be honest- particularly when the OP is by their own admission buying expensive gifts for other people.

There are many many people out in terrible hardships, often through no fault of their own, and often without any possibility of helping themselves. The OP is not one of them.

BaZmO*

sunnyside wrote: »

I think some of the replies on here are a bit harsh.

Harsh? Are you for real? Personally I don't think people are being harsh enough. The OP is looking for a hand out from a charity that basically puts food into people's mouths and clothes onto the backs of people that can't afford it. College registration fees and driving lessons are nothing like having no food to eat.

All I'm hearing from the OP is "Ohh I want this type of job" or "I'll only be better off by €25 if I take a minimum wage working 40 hours a week" So bloody what?!?! Welcome to the real world buddy.

So you can only work 40 hours a week? I've been in debt plenty of times in my life and I've always taken on an extra job to my regular 9 to 5 to pay whatever bills that needed to be paid.

There is absolutely no excuse for a fit and healthy person not to be working at the moment.

sunnyside

BaZmO* wrote: »

All I'm hearing from the OP is "Ohh I want this type of job" or "I'll only be better off by €25 if I take a minimum wage working 40 hours a week" So bloody what?!?! Welcome to the real world buddy.

To me this sounds like begrudgery. Lots of people don't like to see other people getting on better than them in life. Some of ye sound like ye would prefer the OP to do a low pay menial job than a job which he is qualified to do. The OP sounds like he is actively seeking employment and in my opinion he shoud try to get the lab job first. Then if that doesn't work within a few months he should apply for other jobs.

I can't see anybody giving him a job in McDonalds the way the economy is at the moment. A few years ago yes but at the moment all the minimum pay jobs are aimed at foreign nationals.

BaZmO*

sunnyside wrote: »

To me this sounds like begrudgery. Lots of people don't like to see other people getting on better than them in life.

Begrudgery? Are you having a laugh?

How would someone getting a payout from SVP be doing better than me?

sunnyside wrote: »

Some of ye sound like ye would prefer the OP to do a low pay menial job than a job which he is qualified to do.

Don't be silly, nobody is saying that. All people are saying that at the moment he/she shouldn't be considering a handout when they could find employment in something that at first might not suit.

sunnyside wrote: »

I can't see anybody giving him a job in McDonalds the way the economy is at the moment. A few years ago yes but at the moment all the minimum pay jobs are aimed at foreign nationals.

Cos McDonalds is the only employer in Ireland?

Meathlass

OP I think the fact that all your accounts are with the one bank will actually work for you rather than against. Have a meeting with your bank manager. Explain that you are currently looking for work but having cash flow problems and ask to suspend the interest on all your loans for a set period. If you've had a good credit rating up to now, there'll be no problems. Explain you need to pay some fees associated with getting work and that the interest is killing you at the moment. THe bank doesn't want to see you in so much debt that you are bankrupt, they'd rather keep you at a managble level paying high interest all the time. 5000 euros isn't much debt - don't be freaking out about it, when you are working you can pay it off.

As one of the previous posters said you may need to look into getting some work. I know you will lose benefits and not have very much extra money but it always looks better if you have work. It's easier to get work as well the more people you know. The local manager at Tesco's might just have a sister who works in a lab ... Sitting around waiting for the perfect job isn't very appealing to an employer. I'm sure they'd much rather someone who took the initiative to find work while waiting for something else to come along.

LegacyUser

Meathlass wrote: »

OP I think the fact that all your accounts are with the one bank will actually work for you rather than against. Have a meeting with your bank manager. Explain that you are currently looking for work but having cash flow problems and ask to suspend the interest on all your loans for a set period. If you've had a good credit rating up to now, there'll be no problems. Explain you need to pay some fees associated with getting work and that the interest is killing you at the moment. THe bank doesn't want to see you in so much debt that you are bankrupt, they'd rather keep you at a managble level paying high interest all the time. 5000 euros isn't much debt - don't be freaking out about it, when you are working you can pay it off.

As one of the previous posters said you may need to look into getting some work. I know you will lose benefits and not have very much extra money but it always looks better if you have work. It's easier to get work as well the more people you know. The local manager at Tesco's might just have a sister who works in a lab ... Sitting around waiting for the perfect job isn't very appealing to an employer. I'm sure they'd much rather someone who took the initiative to find work while waiting for something else to come along.

Will do that, thank you for the helpful and constructive advice.

From the replies I can see that most of you disapprove of me getting any help but the thread has made me feel better anyway because you all think my situation isn't that bad which is reassuring.