On Benefits & Proud: Opinions

jimgoose

goose2005 wrote: »

...It's easy to forget that, in reality, all of us are net beneficiaries of the endless labour and inventions and technological, medical and cultural advances of the past. We were born with a patrimony that even kings of the past would envy into a peace and prosperity unrivalled in world history. So maybe stop bitching quite so much.

Or, in the words of Sgt. Antonio "Poke" Espera of Generation Kill fame: "See, the white man has created a system with so much excess that even poor motherfuckers are fat."

J_E

Dublin_Mom wrote: »

and please don't come back with the 'no jobs' argument.

There are actually quite a lot of jobs, but a lot of people are doing so well on benefits it doesn't pay them to work as they lose medical card etc.

Personally as a tax payer I am sick of supporting feckless people and their poor life choices

Well that's BS anyway. Not exactly in the position to say if you aren't job hunting yourself.

All these 'poverty porn' shows are just creating an unrealistic image of people who love being on benefits. I would wager the families shown are in a minority rather than a majority and should be sanctioned rather than glorified on television for the 'nice hard working families' to squint at as if at the zoo.

Amirani

Cydoniac wrote: »

Well that's BS anyway. Not exactly in the position to say if you aren't job hunting yourself.

All these 'poverty porn' shows are just creating an unrealistic image of people who love being on benefits. I would wager the families shown are in a minority rather than a majority and should be sanctioned rather than glorified on television for the 'nice hard working families' to squint at as if at the zoo.

Ireland had "full employment" during the Celtic Tiger where unemployment figures hovered around 4%. I find it hard to believe that the c.10% extra that are unemployed at the moment have turned into perennially benefit scroungers over the past 5 years.

steddyeddy

As Diego said I'm lacking evidence to back up the hypothesis that 10% are scroungers and happy on the dole.

jimgoose

Diego Simeone wrote: »

Ireland had "full employment" during the Celtic Tiger where unemployment figures hovered around 4%. I find it hard to believe that the c.10% extra that are unemployed at the moment have turned into perennially benefit scroungers over the past 5 years.

Yes, that was interesting, this was one of the very few jurisdictions in modern times to actually have a look at what happens in a full-employment scenario. It torpedoed the idea that a statistically significant proportion of the population wouldn't work regardless.

steddyeddy

Right so a very small section of the society are happy on welfare but the vast majority would rather work. Case closed.

goose2005

Diego Simeone wrote: »

Ireland had "full employment" during the Celtic Tiger where unemployment figures hovered around 4%. I find it hard to believe that the c.10% extra that are unemployed at the moment have turned into perennially benefit scroungers over the past 5 years.

And even the 4% unemployed weren't the same 4% all the time - people moving in and out of work who were on the dole temporarily. 0% unemployment would actually be a bad thing because then companies would have no labour supply.

steddyeddy

Science, statistics and facts shutting up right wing idiots again and again

AlanS181824

Thanks for all the differentiating opinions.

I kind of like the jobseekers idea whereby when you refuse a job a certain amount of times your money gets cut.

jimgoose

steddyeddy wrote: »

Science, statistics and facts shutting up right wing idiots again and again

Excuse me! I happen to be a right-wing idiot.

steddyeddy

jimgoose wrote: »

Excuse me! I happen to be a right-wing idiot.

I apologise for my use of the term idiot. It wasn't nice or indeed correct. I go to college with a lot of right wing people and it's a line of thinking I don't understand.

jimgoose

steddyeddy wrote: »

I apologise for my use of the term idiot. It wasn't nice or indeed correct. I go to college with a lot of right wing people and it's a line of thinking I don't understand.

Don't worry - most of them don't either.

Custardpi

Sure there's a lot of chancers out there playing the system so I can understand the resentment at that. On the other hand, as one noted social commentator has put it "welfare mothers make better lovers", so what's not to like?

Dublin_Mom

Cydoniac wrote: »

Well that's BS anyway. Not exactly in the position to say if you aren't job hunting yourself.

All these 'poverty porn' shows are just creating an unrealistic image of people who love being on benefits. I would wager the families shown are in a minority rather than a majority and should be sanctioned rather than glorified on television for the 'nice hard working families' to squint at as if at the zoo.

Why do you think it is BS? I was job hunting not so long ago, all of us were job hunting at some point.

So saying it is 'BS' is a ridiculous statement.

riclad

THERE have always been a small minority of people who,seem to plan it out,
have 3 kids ,get a council house etc
eg they are on welfare for 20 plus years ,
ie is a woman with 3 young kids ,really gonna take a job in mcdonalds ,
for 9 euro a hour ,
and pay a babysitter to look after their children 40 hours a week.
MY friend was told by the council you have to have 2 children to get a council house.
SHE has one child,
her partner 45 years old, can,t have children ,
low sperm count.
she got a 2 bed apartment.

theres an article on the journal.ie ,
re jobs ,advertising ,
IT says most jobs now advertised are low wage or intern type low pay jobs .
I know a company took on 20 people full time ,on the minimum wage,for
office work,
much lower wages than the other people working there.

Graces7

billy the squid wrote: »

people on rent suppliment can't just up sticks and move to another county. the system doesnt work like that. in order to claim rent suppliment you have to be on the housing list, in order to get on the housing list you have to to be living in that particular county. The ability to move to another local authority area needs to be simplified.

It is also worth mentioning that under the new Housing Assistance Programme, designed to replace Rent Suppliment, the recipient will be taken off the housing list. you can be sure with the council paying the rent on private accomodation the HAP is going to cost double or even triple what rent suppliment does when landlords see how much they can milk the local authorities for. I would advise anyone on rent suppliment to stay off HAP for as long as possible as they will be removed from the housing list, If their landlord decides to sell up the onus is on them to find accomodation. if they don't they go back to the bottom of the housing list again.

you qualify for rs if you have been renting privately 6 months or are on the housing list. some cwos try to change the rules to make you go on the list. they are wrong and will back down if you make a complaint

see the citizens info web site

changed county and rs two years ago after being on rs and no problem ad still not on the housing list

AnonoBoy

steddyeddy wrote: »

Science, statistics and facts shutting up right wing idiots again and again

Ah sure you can prove anything with facts.

darkpagandeath

Graces7 wrote: »

you qualify for rs if you have been renting privately 6 months or are on the housing list. some cwos try to change the rules to make you go on the list. they are wrong and will back down if you make a complaint

see the citizens info web site

changed county and rs two years ago after being on rs and no problem ad still not on the housing list

Is that not the problem though, The system it's self is not black and white 1 person will say 1 thing the other another. Different councils have there own issues and do not want to take people onto the list from another county. SW in general should be made transparent black and white what you are entitled to what you are not. None of this just applying for random things to see if you are entitled. There should be a means test then your given a list of your entitlements. There should be a massive cut down as well at the emergency claims window. The same lads every time cant pay this bill that bill. You get your allowance like everyone else if you cant budget talk to the CWO they can help.

Wompa1

AlekSmart wrote: »

Thankfully,in this Irish example,the Store Security Staff we unarmed,thus allowing the poor,oppressed,disaffected yoofs the badly needed opportunity to outline their grievances.....Thats what makes OUR system so much better than any oul American one ...;)

I have yet to see any store security staff carrying a gun over here......

Temptamperu

Im unemployed but not proud... I am doing online college courses and trying to retrain in a different field than building services. The people on this show are ridiculous and i know a few career dole'rs myself. Wouldn't be able to hack doing feck all, all day.

mikeym

I havent watched it yet on the Sky+ box should be interesting.

darkpagandeath

mikeym wrote: »

I havent watched it yet on the Sky+ box should be interesting.

Don't bother it will rot your brain

AlanS181824

mikeym wrote: »

I havent watched it yet on the Sky+ box should be interesting.

It's very interesting and worth the watch if you've a spare hour/spare brain cells.

To some it up, England appears to have better benefits than us :pac:

Frito

AlanS181824 wrote: »

It's very interesting and worth the watch if you've a spare hour/spare brain cells.

To some it up, England appears to have better benefits than us :pac:

Carer's allowance is the notable exception at £61.35 per week provided you perform at least 35 hours of caring a week AND your income is below £100/week. Regardless of how many people you care for, you can only claim one allowance.

It's €205 in Ireland plus you can claim an additional amount if you care for a second person.

AlanS181824

Frito wrote: »

Carer's allowance is the notable exception at £61.35 per week provided you perform at least 35 hours of caring a week AND your income is below £100/week. Regardless of how many people you care for, you can only claim one allowance.

It's €205 in Ireland plus you can claim an additional amount if you care for a second person.

Oh wow, that's a big difference alright.

darkpagandeath

AlanS181824 wrote: »

Oh wow, that's a big difference alright.

NHS ....

PopePalpatine

KyussBishop wrote: »

No, you're wrong - stats to the rescue:
http://www.nerinstitute.net/imglibrary/2014/01/201401211508391.jpg
http://www.nerinstitute.net/blog/2014/01/21/over-28-unemployed-people-for-each-vacancy-in-the/

Only enough jobs for 1 out of 28.

And that ratio is likely to worsen as you move away from Dublin and its commuter belt.

Spunge

AnonoBoy wrote: »

Some people's definition of luxury is just 'don't have to work and manage to scrape by'.

People with low expectations of life.

As opposed to make enough money to afford their car loan and detached house to impress the neighbours and look the part, and that new extension to show to the relatives. And to be able to afford enough to spend a few hundred E every weekend hitting the town and getting hammered.

Truly enlightened values.

Media999

riclad wrote: »

MAYBE our education is 10 years behind ,in regard to science, tech, subjects,
and encouraging students to do courses in programming .
eg the points system doesn,t help,
i can get the same points for doing french, as i can for doing higher level maths.

SO companys have to get people from russia ,etc to take up certain jobs in ireland.

Bonus Points for Higher Maths and its a requirement for the majority of Programming courses so thats not true.

candy-gal1

Very surprised to hear of people apparrantly refusing jobs and more than once, mentioned on the last page I think, yes I actually am :P

Ive been on the Dole, and studying, getting some small work experience etc, the past three years and a bit and applying for jobs and havent got offered more than an interview as of yet

It has picked up the past 6months or so though from what Ive seen, having more fulltime jobs around so at least its looking up from that perspective

I would never condemn anyone for either being on the Dole and not applying for part - time work or refusing a job paying less than minimum wage - I did that for just over 3 years whilst in college and its soul destroying tbh, I only did it as it was the only job I could get after a few years of really looking and I wanted to stay in college

I will apply for part time etc type jobs and negotiate after I got the job, if so, just because Ive been on it so long its getting to the stage of needing to do something, Ive done my education, Ive worked the crappy type job, Im now on the Dole, now time for getting back on the career again - if I can

I would have thought thats how most people think, the whole "get whatever I can on SW so I never have to work" is great for a while - I cant deny that - but saving what you can, constant job applying and keeping your mind active is essential imho
If you dont you just end up sitting back, letting everything drift and time passes way too quickly with nothing to show



Theres my 2cents