Reform of single parents allowance

MagicSean

Heres my idea of how to reform this allowance. Just lookin for feedback on wether people think it could work.

1) Scrap single parents allowance except in the case of widows/widowers or extreme cases (i.e. victim of rape)
2) Easier system for obtaining maintenace from father/mother named on birth cert without having to get a solicitor and go to court.
3) Set rates of maintenance per child which is means tested.
4) Appointment of mediator to sign off on agreements in place of judge
5) Easy access to DNA paternity testing to resolve any dispute over paternity.

The way I see it this reduces the pressure on the primary carer of the child by eleiminating the need to obtain a solicitor and attend courts. It would free up a lot of court hours as the courts would only be required to handle breaches of agreements. It would eliminate the practice whereby people could leave the fathers name on the birth cert blank and claim fraudulently.

AlekSmart

Tis all very laudable k_mac but there are many obstacles to your desires,some of which are quite well documented in this report...

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/thousands-of-dads-not-on-birth-certs-avoid-child-payouts-2102883.html

There`s a sweet gravy train chuggin away here and until some Politician can manage to derail it then no progress is in the offing.

Former DFSA Minister Hanifin I feel had gotten some taste for the extent of the problem,so i`d say she`s relieved to be gone from it tonight !!

AlekSmart

http://e-edition.metroherald.ie/2010/03/25/

This wee debate has been added to by an interesting letter from somebody known as "D" to Metro-Herald`s Mailbox page entitled "Is Honesty Worth It".

Its on Page 22 just below a fantastic picture of a Volcanic eruption....kinda apt in a way.....

Well the letter is certainly worth a read

gurramok

Well spotted Aleksmart. Thats the crux of the situation in its finer truth. If that woman got married, she'd lose everything. She be fine as long as she has babies and does NOT get married to her working boyfriend.

Expect the PC brigade to come along to defend the allowance abusers.

MaceFace

k_mac wrote: »

Heres my idea of how to reform this allowance. Just lookin for feedback on wether people think it could work.

1) Scrap single parents allowance except in the case of widows/widowers or extreme cases (i.e. victim of rape)
2) Easier system for obtaining maintenace from father/mother named on birth cert without having to get a solicitor and go to court.
3) Set rates of maintenance per child which is means tested.
4) Appointment of mediator to sign off on agreements in place of judge
5) Easy access to DNA paternity testing to resolve any dispute over paternity.

The way I see it this reduces the pressure on the primary carer of the child by eleiminating the need to obtain a solicitor and attend courts. It would free up a lot of court hours as the courts would only be required to handle breaches of agreements. It would eliminate the practice whereby people could leave the fathers name on the birth cert blank and claim fraudulently.

Even easier - do away with it compleltely. If the person, whether they be single or married are close to the breadline, they qualify for income assistance.

Simple. Easy. Effective.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Tim Robbins

k_mac wrote: »

Heres my idea of how to reform this allowance. Just lookin for feedback on wether people think it could work.

1) Scrap single parents allowance except in the case of widows/widowers or extreme cases (i.e. victim of rape)
2) Easier system for obtaining maintenace from father/mother named on birth cert without having to get a solicitor and go to court.
3) Set rates of maintenance per child which is means tested.
4) Appointment of mediator to sign off on agreements in place of judge
5) Easy access to DNA paternity testing to resolve any dispute over paternity.

The way I see it this reduces the pressure on the primary carer of the child by eleiminating the need to obtain a solicitor and attend courts. It would free up a lot of court hours as the courts would only be required to handle breaches of agreements. It would eliminate the practice whereby people could leave the fathers name on the birth cert blank and claim fraudulently.

1. Make it a criminal offense to knowingly leave the father's name of the cert.
This is something enforced by the state.
2. Go after the father and make them pay maintenance.
3. The state cover up the short fall - which should not be that much.
They shouldn't be getting much more than separated Mothers.
4. If the unmarried Mother claiming is living with a new partner they must inform the state. Failure to do so is also a criminal offense.
5. End or decrease the payments given to unmarried mothers when the child reaches 8.
6. Random spot checks on any Mother claiming unmarried allowance.

Tim Robbins

donegalfella wrote: »

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Yeah there must be several cases where someone knows who their Dad is but their birth cert says that their father is unknown. What does that do for a cohesive society?

Tim Robbins

Tim Robbins wrote: »

Yeah there must be several cases where someone knows who their Dad is but their birth cert says that their father is unknown. What does that do for a cohesive society?

My wife lost her job. If we never married we'd get mortgage relief, I would be able claim tax relief on my rent and if I didn't put my name down on my son's cert we'd be actually very well off.

You can't have a society where you get a lot of money for telling a few simple lies and are finacially discouraging people to get married.

changes

donegalfella wrote: »

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This must be treated as fraud and be pursued by the authorities like any other crime. It is robbery from the state.

Until there is a major clampdown on this and other types of blatant welfare fraud we will do nothing to reduce our 22 billion social welfare bill.


I'd like to see this come under the remit of the department of justice. If the gardai were calling at peoples front door investigating this fraud rather than a social welfare inspector then it might have more of an effect.

AlekSmart

I'd like to see this come under the remit of the department of justice. If the gardai were calling at peoples front door investigating this fraud rather than a social welfare inspector then it might have more of an effect.

Changes,you`ll need to see really BIG changes in our national outlook before such a simplistic yet productive approach would be countenanced.

It`s only slowly becoming clear to many Taxpaying types that the lack of Social Welfare Benefit reductions on a similar scale to taxation and levy increases imposed on the workforce is largely intended to keep the lid on any potential social unrest or unhealthy feelings being directed at Politicians.

As yet there appears little will to tackle the real black-hole of Combi-Benefitting,a process which if managed creatively can provide a very respectable standard of living relative to whats available from much of the standard level employments these days.

granite man

Maybe making the morning after pill more accessible with no benefits payable until the fathers name is on record would make some sense. There would have to be the obvious exceptions, rape, incest etc. The welfare state is being taken for a ride ( no pun intended) on this one and the sooner its stopped the sooner people will be responsible for their own actions.