Are you on the dole?

johnnyskeleton

gaytony wrote: »

i thought the country was at the point of no return due to years of reckless lending and borrowing and a government with no foresight , not because of social welfare?

One of the symptoms of reckless government borrowing and spending is the social welfare bill. Basic payments are c. three times what it is in the UK.

skyhighflyer

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Just to be clear, it is entirely consistent to say on the one hand that you feel sorry for people on the dole, but also that you recognise that the dole payments are far to high for the country to sustain. If people express anger at the fact that the country is almost past the point of no return because of the huge social welfare bill, it does not mean that they are angry towards the individuals who have lost their jobs and are on the dole.

The country's at the point of no return because of the €35bn Anglo bailout bill. Not because:

'the dole is too high'
'nurses get paid too much'
'de public sector, Joe'

Anglo bailout cost + Merkel and Sarkozy's new plan to force bondholders to bear some of the burden of sovereign defaults = Ireland being fcuked.

The cuts in social welfare, public sector pay, healthcare etc are only necessary as a consequence of the two factors mentioned above. They are not the cause of our problem.

For the record, I agree that the dole is too high. More precisely, it's scandalous that someone having worked for 20 years and paid taxes throughout is only entitled to the same amount that a scrounger who never worked even during the 'good times' gets.

A friend of my parents recently lost his job having worked for the same company for 25 years. The guy worked his arse off all his life, paid taxes when the personal rate was way above what it is now, and he and his wife managed to pay down their mortgage as interest rates were hitting 16% while still giving their kids an education.

I very much doubt any of the keyboard warriors on this forum proclaiming that people on the dole are scroungers would have the nerve to repeat their opinions in his presence. Right now, for most of us, the difference between a job and the dole is a matter of luck. Perhaps this is too difficult for many of us to face up to, and it's easier to simply castigate these people while thinking 'It won't happen to me'. Life, however, isn't that simple right now.

cedissapointed

Yep im on the dole,no thanks to FAS who ruined my C.V ,i had a bad experience with a fat retarded supervisor who damaged my C.V ..

These supervisors have no professional attitude towards their staff

I know not all are bad but FAS is a quango and have been consigning the poor to a life time of poverty..

I have written about this on boards and i have to say it is a scam - please read my article and feel free to comment on the great job robbery that is FAS.

Because of my FAS experience some employers are skeptical of hiring people like me and i suppose i couldnt blame them,half of those in FAS are ex cons

Sir Oxman

skyhighflyer wrote: »

The country's at the point of no return because of the €35bn Anglo bailout bill. Not because:

'the dole is too high'
'nurses get paid too much'
'de public sector, Joe'

Anglo bailout cost + Merkel and Sarkozy's new plan to force bondholders to bear some of the burden of sovereign defaults = Ireland being fcuked.

The cuts in social welfare, public sector pay, healthcare etc are only necessary as a consequence of the two factors mentioned above. They are not the cause of our problem.

For the record, I agree that the dole is too high. More precisely, it's scandalous that someone having worked for 20 years and paid taxes throughout is only entitled to the same amount that a scrounger who never worked even during the 'good times' gets.

A friend of my parents recently lost his job having worked for the same company for 25 years. The guy worked his arse off all his life, paid taxes when the personal rate was way above what it is now, and he and his wife managed to pay down their mortgage as interest rates were hitting 16% while still giving their kids an education.

I very much doubt any of the keyboard warriors on this forum proclaiming that people on the dole are scroungers would have the nerve to repeat their opinions in his presence. Right now, for most of us, the difference between a job and the dole is a matter of luck. Perhaps this is too difficult for many of us to face up to, and it's easier to simply castigate these people while thinking 'It won't happen to me'. Life, however, isn't that simple right now.

Highlighted quote for truth.

I love how ignorant some people are lumping everyone on the dole in the same 'skiving' category.
There are over 350k+ workers after being dumped on the dole in the past two years.
Extreme ignorance. Most of these idiots spouting off are one step away from the same fate.

LevelSpirit

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

People on the dole are not responsible for the sh!t we're in at the moment & certainly not the biggest drain on money. Way way too many public sector employees being paid too much but they're not to blame either. We're in the sh!t because of the bunch of greedy, incompetent, lazy pricks that are supposed to be running this country who basically went on a 7 year holiday with the occasional appearance at 'work' from 2000 - 2007.

Ah come on now.
Our politicians may be goshi1tes but if you are in the bottom 10% (5% were always there) of the workforce then it is your own fault. (Jeeze you need 40% to pass an exam)
Its up to ourselves to make sure we can get another job when we lose one. You dont just diversify after the crash. You gotta be watching out and hedging your bets at all times. If you didnt .... well its the dole then for you. Your own fault. But take heart, you get paid more than the average US worker even when you dont work.

I was on the dole for 3 years in the 80's. Learned a big lesson then. Dont depend on others to keep you in employment. Carve your career with the next recession in mind.

skyhighflyer

LevelSpirit wrote: »

Ah come on now.
Our politicians may be goshi1tes but if you are in the bottom 10% (5% were always there) of the workforce then it is your own fault. (Jeeze you need 40% to pass an exam)
Its up to ourselves to make sure we can get another job when we lose one. You dont just diversify after the crash. You gotta be watching out and hedging your bets at all times. If you didnt .... well its the dole then for you. Your own fault. But take heart, you get paid more than the average US worker even when you dont work.

I was on the dole for 3 years in the 80's. Learned a big lesson then. Dont depend on others to keep you in employment. Carve your career with the next recession in mind.

I agree with you in part, especially the 'hedging your bets' bit. Last year, I took a year's contract work in the UK that was relatively low-paid but that gave me great experience. I now have good experience and good references behind me, so I'm not beholden to my current Irish employer should things go tits-up and I lose my job - I can just hop back over to London again.

It's worth noting though that the rules of the game have changed slightly. Five years ago, there was no excause. These days, it's down to luck.

CoalBucket

I spent the first four months of this year on the dole. I had never been out of work before. I have been working part time since the age of 14 while I was in school and college the and full time since I finished in college.

For anybody who has never been on the dole it is important to try and illustrate the effect it has on a person. Apart from financial side of it, being on the dole can have a drastic effect on a persons morale and self-worth. It can be soul destroying that you are unable to get work and support yourself and your family.

I am extremely lucky to be working now. Over 450,000 people are not so lucky. I see the lines of people at the social welfare office and i'm so glad i'm not there anymore. It is a disgrace the pain that has been afflicted on society an a whole.

LevelSpirit

CoalBucket wrote: »

I spent the first four months of this year on the dole. I had never been out of work before. I have been working part time since the age of 14 while I was in school and college the and full time since I finished in college.

For anybody who has never been on the dole it is important to try and illustrate the effect it has on a person. Apart from financial side of it, being on the dole can have a drastic effect on a persons morale and self-worth. It can be soul destroying that you are unable to get work and support yourself and your family.

I am extremely lucky to be working now. Over 450,000 people are not so lucky. I see the lines of people at the social welfare office and i'm so glad i'm not there anymore. It is a disgrace the pain that has been afflicted on society an a whole.

You are not lucky to be working. The chances of being part of the 85% working are very high. Especially considering 5% were always wasters even in the good times.
You'd be unlucky not to have a job. But the way people go on you'd think it was harder to be employed than to be unemployed,
Its just not PC to spell it out.

CoalBucket

Having read about the self employed not qualifying for any social welfare payments I have a question for those of you who are self employed or know something about employment law.

Is it possible to set up a company and employ yourself as a paye worker ?
That way you still enjoy the benefits of self employment and the relative protection of a paye worker.

CoalBucket

LevelSpirit wrote: »

You are not lucky to be working. The chances of being part of the 85% working are very high. Especially considering 5% were always wasters even in the good times.
You'd be unlucky not to have a job. But the way people go on you'd think it was harder to be employed than to be unemployed,
Its just not PC to spell it out.

If you are made redundant by a company the problem is not only that you have lost your job it is that there are very little jobs to get back into the work force. If the company you are working for is dowsizing or going out of business then it is unlucky. It is nothing got to do with PC.

LevelSpirit

CoalBucket wrote: »

If you are made redundant by a company the problem is not only that you have lost your job it is that there are very little jobs to get back into the work force. If the company you are working for is dowsizing or going out of business then it is unlucky. It is nothing got to do with PC.

If you have diversified and prepared for a situation where you might have to go looking for a new job then you will be fine. If you havent ......

Truley

I was on the dole for about eight months after college and will be signing on again this Christmas. I'm not ashamed to say it, I really enjoyed the freedom of being unemployed. I did loads of voluntary work, went surfing nearly every day, spent a month on the road cycling and camping around Ireland, took up painting, knitting and climbing. I was more active and productive then I had ever been as an employee or student. Financially it was extremely tough, and I lived very basically. But as a result I think I learned to enjoy a simpler, less consumeristic lifestyle.

My parents on the otherhand thought it was scandalous and I was under strict instructions to either keep stum or lie about it to friends or family. It wasn't like I was on the dole by choice! But in my family being on welfare is is worse than having leprosy :rolleyes:

Tigger

CoalBucket wrote: »

Having read about the self employed not qualifying for any social welfare payments I have a question for those of you who are self employed or know something about employment law.

Is it possible to set up a company and employ yourself as a paye worker ?
That way you still enjoy the benefits of self employment and the relative protection of a paye worker.

yes you get both but you'll have to wind up the company or put it on hold (ie if it wa a seasonal thing sightseeing or something)

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Not any more thankfully.

-Corkie-

Cant believe how many wasters in this country. A similar thread here recently of what time you get up. Most was 10 or 11 am on a workday..:eek:. I am self employed and I seem to be the only one breaking my hole so the rest of ye can sit back and smoke foreign cigarettes and drink Dutch gold...:mad:

chopperbyrne

Was on the dole for a year and a half until July. Thankfully my job is now quite secure.

alwaysadub

-Corkie- wrote: »

Cant believe how many wasters in this country. A similar thread here recently of what time you get up. Most was 10 or 11 am on a workday..:eek:. I am self employed and I seem to be the only one breaking my hole so the rest of ye can sit back and smoke foreign cigarettes and drink Dutch gold...:mad:

Yeah,cos everyone on the dole is a waster.
And obviously the people working are sitting on their arses all day doing nothing too.
Stfu will ya.

-Corkie-

alwaysadub wrote: »

Yeah,cos everyone on the dole is a waster.
And obviously the people working are sitting on their arses all day doing nothing too and smoking fags like me?????.
Stfu will ya.

Yes correct and living with their girlfriends in a house thats paid for on her single mothers allowance with medical cards etc etc.

This country is a joke paying so much money to these people.

Oranage2

I'm on a month by month contract - really stressful and really hard work, but I'd rather have this than be doing nothing cause I can only imagine how hard it is being on welfare -

PanchoVilla

-Corkie- wrote: »

Cant believe how many wasters in this country. A similar thread here recently of what time you get up. Most was 10 or 11 am on a workday..:eek:. I am self employed and I seem to be the only one breaking my hole so the rest of ye can sit back and smoke foreign cigarettes and drink Dutch gold...:mad:

Yeah, thanks for that.

By the way, smokers probably pay more in excise duty alone that you pay in income tax so your argument doesn't really make much sense.

-Corkie-

PanchoVilla wrote: »

Yeah, thanks for that.

By the way, smokers probably pay more in excise duty alone that you pay in income tax so your argument doesn't really make much sense.

If you read my post again...:);). They all smoke cheap foreign fags for about 20 euro a carton so they are robbing normal tax payers wholesale. I had to pay 40k euro income tax for last year. This sh1t really drives me mad.

PanchoVilla

-Corkie- wrote: »

If you read my post again...:);). They all smoke cheap foreign fags for about 20 euro a carton so they are robbing normal tax payers wholesale. I had to pay 40k euro income tax for last year. This sh1t really drives me mad.

Eh...what? I smoke Pall Mall and they cost €7.75 a pack and most of that is tax. I don't know where you're getting €20 a carton from, but I suspect it's complete bullshít. And if you're seriously paying €40,000 income tax then you must have a very nice income. But again, I suspect this is just more bullshít. If it pisses you off so much then either stop paying your taxes or go sign on. Either that or just be happy you can still work and stop moaning.

HellFireClub

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Just to be clear, it is entirely consistent to say on the one hand that you feel sorry for people on the dole, but also that you recognise that the dole payments are far to high for the country to sustain. If people express anger at the fact that the country is almost past the point of no return because of the huge social welfare bill, it does not mean that they are angry towards the individuals who have lost their jobs and are on the dole.

The reason the dole bill is so high in this country is not because the dole is 196 a week, it's because every week there are 500,000 people who have to claim 196 a week in order to live.

HellFireClub

-Corkie- wrote: »

Yes correct and living with their girlfriends in a house thats paid for on her single mothers allowance with medical cards etc etc.

This country is a joke paying so much money to these people.

And what about the single people who can't even afford to be in a relationship, because you can't exactly do the dating thing on 196 a week??? Get back under your bridge asswipe.

-Corkie-

PanchoVilla wrote: »

Eh...what? I smoke Pall Mall and they cost €7.75 a pack and most of that is tax. I don't know where you're getting €20 a carton from, but I suspect it's complete bullshít. And if you're seriously paying €40,000 income tax then you must have a very nice income. But again, I suspect this is just more bullshít. If it pisses you off so much then either stop paying your taxes or go sign on. Either that or just be happy you can still work and stop moaning.

Firstly Pall Mall are legit as in you pay excise duty etc. What I am on about is polish cigarettes and thai cigarettes. You can buy a 20 box for 20 cent over in Thailand. Anyway thats way o/t. Im not moaning I have a nice income but I work very hard for it and from reading your post so do you. I just hate people that are here for a free ride if you know what I mean.

scientific1982

-Corkie- wrote: »

Firstly Pall Mall are legit as in you pay excise duty etc. What I am on about is polish cigarettes and thai cigarettes. You can buy a 20 box for 20 cent over in Thailand. Anyway thats way o/t. Im not moaning I have a nice income but I work very hard for it and from reading your post so do you. I just hate people that are here for a free ride if you know what I mean.

Look mate most people who have jobs work very hard in them. Its still not an excuse to go off slagging people who are out of work. Every person I know whos on the dole hates being on the dole and would rather be employed. Unfortunately there isnt enough work to go around. The shoe might be on the other foot someday.

Truley

-Corkie- wrote: »

Cant believe how many wasters in this country. A similar thread here recently of what time you get up. Most was 10 or 11 am on a workday..:eek:. I am self employed and I seem to be the only one breaking my hole so the rest of ye can sit back and smoke foreign cigarettes and drink Dutch gold...:mad:

Great isn't it- thanks for that!

*sits back and opens another beer*

longhalloween

Got a job last week so im ticking the bottom box

A V A

i got a job after a year and a half of endless interviews and standing in lines waiting to sign on etc , i was no "Scumbag" and neither were any of the others, every body has their own situation im just so delighted with after finding a job and that its something i love doing

Voodoomelon

I'm self employed and dread the day I might have to pack it in for whatever reason and then be given two fingers by the government when I look for some of my PRSI and tax back.