Household charge effecting grants?

ima_goldfish!

Right Im not totally sure what the story is with this but I said id post anyway.
Apparently, families who have not paid the household charge are at risk of getting their Grants taken away or not paid?
A friend of the family recently got a letter explaining that as such?!
Just wondering if anybody has heard of these letters or even recieved any?
Im genuinely shocked at these bully tactics by the government and if this is true think there should be a protest. Im sorry but people need that grant and students still living at home are not responsible for payment of the bloody household charge and so I dont see why their education should be put at risk,do they own a house>No. End of story in my book.

ebyr

Yup!

Just got the letter today. Haven't paid the HHC because...well put simply I can barely feed my family and I as I try to go through college, up-skill and re-enter the workforce, it's just not possible. This government, and local authorities should be ashamed of themselves for such an underhand tactic. It resembles some plot from medieval times....Hobbes' Leviathan comes to mind. I'm not sure what to do just yet but after the disgusting letter received today I'm not far off telling them stick my grant (that was awarded to me a long time before the HHC came to fruition) up their arses. I'd rather die a poor man than a beggar bought for a trade-off.

meoklmrk91

What a despicable, underhanded tactic. I too live in a house where the household charge was not paid, for various reasons. It certainly won't be paid by me because my name is not on the house. If I get one of these letters there will be absolute war. Neither of these things have anything to do with eachother.

What if parents of primary and secondary students were told that if they didn't pay the HHC they would not get the back to school allowance.

I am literally disgusted by this, particularly as most students recieving the grant are financially disadvantaged and the HHC will have nothing to do with them whatsoever, like me.

ima_goldfish!

I am disgusted. This is complete blackmail by an underhand and incompetent government. Why should the payment or non payment of any charge/tax etc effect a person's right to the means to get an education in this country?
We are currently fighting our way out (slowly) of the deep hole of debt and depression the last bunch of eijits left us in and now they are telling us we have to pay this ridiculous tax before we can get the means to attend college?
The fact of the matter is the majority of the students applying for a grant do not own their own house,so the payment is out of their control. How dare the government penalise the students for their parents actions. People have a right to protest this tax, the government does not however have the right to use bully tactics on the innocent people of this country. My name is not on the deeds of a house, therefore it is not my responsibility to pay this tax ergo I cannot be penalised for it.
This deserves a protest and march. We need to do something drastic. People here are too docile and just turn over each and everytime the government steps out of line but we can't allow them to basically remove a young persons ability to get a better education and in turn a better life for the sake of a few euros household charge that the student cant pay anyway.
Any chance anyone could upload the letter they got?

snubbleste

Stolen from another messageboard:

ditzyfairy

another bully tactic. it was being discussed on the radio there a few mins ago and a solicitor came on to say it is illegal as you can't penalise one adults payment over something another adult has failed to do.

meoklmrk91

ditzyfairy wrote: »

another bully tactic. it was being discussed on the radio there a few mins ago and a solicitor came on to say it is illegal as you can't penalise one adults payment over something another adult has failed to do.

What radio show was it being discussed on?

bef

oh i am mad after hearing about this household charge letter,students are desperately waiting for theire grants to come through,shocking!!!!

ima_goldfish!

Well I have been in touch with my local council to see what they have to say about it. I think I personally am not affected as my guardian is exempt from the charge but that is besides the point. We all need to be united and fight against this blackmail. The cheeky beggars! Abusing their own system as always to get what they want. Plenty of my friends are very worried and stressed. Nobody wants to ask their guardians to pay out money that they simply do not have to pay. Chances are most people who are in need of the grant cannot pay the charge and those that can are probably a little bit more well off.
Cheers for the upload of the letter. There it says in black and white you need to either produce a receipt of payment or give them details so they can check if it is paid or not. This is an outrageous situation for the people of Ireland to be in. People are working hard to get themselves out of desperate situations, which will in turn aid the country to recovery. But the government just does not seem to want people to better themselves. Between cutting the grants and now blackmailing people, it seems they dont want the people of Ireland to recover.

Annasopra

Not happening any longer.

There is no legal basis for it.

ima_goldfish!

Here Here! Was scandalous to even propose such a underhand thing!

AlexDublin

where do these people get off! that is so f***ing ridiculous....