Dole 'summer bonus' .. are they for real?

anewme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119185398#Comment_119185398

My point was in respect of means testing the OAP and specifically the contributory Old Age Pension.

There are people who have amassed wealth and have larger pensions.

They could well be PAYE workers and have made the correct number of qualifying inputs. But even saying if there are really wealthy people who are not short of 10 grand, the problem would be who would set the thresholds?

The Govt. are well aware that the really wealthy have the means to avail of the best tax avoidance programs and best investment advices. So like everything else, Tax Rates, VRT Rates, Inheritance Tax Rates etc, they cast the net wider as they need the masses to get to the multiples. So, I'd see the modest private pension threshold being set fairly low to capture as many of the "middle" type people as they can, a lot who would be on similar numbers that I've referenced above.

Personally, I believe means testing the OAP would disincentive people to fund private pensions. Certainly, the people in the lower middle level now (60-80k) would do a balancing act on it to make sure they qualify.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119185806#Comment_119185806

Correct, Rent allowance ended quite a while ago there's a rent supplement with very strict conditions attached and is only a temporary payment, I believe.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119185814#Comment_119185814

The €26,500 you referenced isn't wealthy by any metric, and remember, any government will ensure their own very generous pension is below the threshold.

There are a lot of pensioners eking out their final years juggling between eating and heating their homes with the state contributory/non-contributory pension as their only income. Not all will have savings to fall back on either.

Someone with generous savings and investments and a large private pension pot doesn't need to receive the full state pension, they don't need a medical card, fuel allowance, living alone allowance etc. It would be fairer to give those who need it a bigger slice of the pie.

anewme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119185897#Comment_119185897

Fair point on their own pensions. Keeping their own bread buttered etc.

My Mam is on the State Pension only and lives alone so I know how difficult living on it is, even with the living alone etc.

I still think if it were means tested that people would reconsider paying in. They don't trust the Govt., some people dont trust pensions either and this expecting people to work to near 70 does not help. Its probably only a matter of time before the tax free lump sum is bumped off.

Juran

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119185806#Comment_119185806

I'm not making it up. She,s my cousin ffs, I know exactly the truth. And no, I wont report, her, the SW department shouldnt hand it out so easy. Its their job to get people off the dole, not mine. She lives out in the sticks and her rent (what ever it calls) pays for the country house. She is a single mom, but kid is grown up and lives away. No one from SW every chased her to move house.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119185936#Comment_119185936

A bigger worry is pensions pots being raided again in the anticipated recession that's looming.

You mentioned your own mam, it's unfair that someone wealthy will receive the same state benefits, it will be pin money to them while others rely on it for the necessities.

I'm looking forward to eventually downing tools (and had hoped to be able to do it earlier than 65), but worried about being comfortable enough to enjoy it. I will have a private pension, but I suspect the state pension will be cut as we live longer. Mary Harney even said it was unfortunate people were living longer when she introduced the ironically named Fair Deal scheme.

Sardonicat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119185990#Comment_119185990

No rental payment covers the full rent. She hasn't been on JSA her entire life, as you previously stated, as she was on a lone parent's payment. Different payment, different rules re working. No one will chase her out if a house, they just won't cover the whole rent and will only contribute up to a certain amount, so if you can't afford it, you have to leave. You asked in your first post why no one touches the long term claimants. You seem to be aware of a few of them defrauding the state yet won't do anything about it.

y0ssar1an22

i think there should be a bonus every quarter.

cant think of any reason why anyone would be against that.

lmao10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119186167#Comment_119186167

I agree. As a high tax payer I am more than happy for it to happen and I'm sure others would be. Inflation isn't easy.

Quitelife

It seems mad that someone who worked for 40 years only gets twenty Euro a week in their pension more than a person who never worked a day in their lives .

no point working minimum wage or in a job you don’t like really in this country .

y0ssar1an22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119186179#Comment_119186179

its not easy. you know what is? sitting on your arse all your life living off other people's taxes.

a functioning SW system is vital to any developed society due to inability to work.

i just wish it would be properly means tested, possibly in collaboration with employers needing low skilled workers. as in...hey peter did you look for any work this month? yeah, didnt get anything. great, there's an opening in XXXX, you start monday. if you can walk here you can do the job.

and none of this job bridge nonsense, pay the full whack for the persons services.

the main problem i see is one of 2 things....min wage too low or SW too high.

on minimum wage, you need to work 4.63 hrs per day to net €220 per week (assumptions: have left our EE PRSI, minimum wage is 1656 per month, annualised to 19874, per day 54, per hour 6.81).

for not working at all, you get €208 per week.

thats a huge issue. no work, i get €208 per week. work 4.5hrs per day and i get €220. how does that make sense? need to incentivize people to go out working either by increasing minimum wage or decreasing SW (or a combo of both).

Gant21

Decrease the sw, deal with the elephant in the room.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119186322#Comment_119186322

Another big issue is that a lot of minimum wage jobs are part-time and don't have set hours - retail, hospitality etc.

So not only does one have to weigh up the advantages of earning a pittance more per day versus the freedom of not working, there's also the hassle of claiming for days not worked on an ad hoc basis and the expectation of some employers expecting staff to be available on very short notice.

newmember2

Thread is just over a day old and already almost ten pages lol

Danno

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119182157#Comment_119182157

I will spare you the sanctimonious BS - when I see 65K long term dole recipients being suggested for a summer "bonus" while there are kids waiting years on lists to be seen for a plethora of needs from scoliosis down to speech and language therapy and the money isn't there - my sympathy goes out like the wheelie bin on a Monday night for that 65K.

Money found week in week out to keep idiots who can't say no to a Sunday night pi$$up to avoid getting laid off work on a Monday morning (the unemployable) are guaranteed their €208 plus perks on the next Thursday at the local Post Office - the aforementioned kids are guaranteed nothing more than another cancelled appointment.

And if you think I've just the long-term JSA in for harsh criticism - wait until you hear about the criticism I dish out to the tax dodgers at the top of the trough... another shower of leeching see you next Tuesdays. But that is not what this thread is about.

So, for all your claims of me painting them like vermin, etc... you want to use emotive language like that - reason why a child should be denied services so a long term JSA recipient can go on a Sunday night bender and get a summer bonus into the bargain too?

Gant21

Have posters got visual impairment that bold text is used?

Danno

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119185155#Comment_119185155

DA does not = JSA

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119186675#Comment_119186675

Why you need to bring in, an entirely un related problem within our health service is simply beyond me. It is you using emotive issues like children with serious health challenges to justify the bile being posted here. You don't need to lecture me or others on appalling waiting lists which have absolutely nothing to do with this narrative of this thread and you know full well what that is.

You talk about Magic money being found and yet avoid more recent events were not only has magic money been found but a host of other supports Irish Citizens could only Dream of. I think it's abundantly clear were this government priorities are and its not health care or housing.

I know only too well about waiting lists personally don't try and put that on the SW system, you know full well who's to blame but I do agree with the particular matter you raise, it is disgraceful and utterly appalling.

As for assertion SW recepients go on Sunday night benders, well that deserves to be ignored.

You through in a personal slur at me to make outlandish claims, I duly responded. Make your points that's your entitlement but don't pretend you don't have have issues with SW generally, I've noticed posters have suddenly started to seperate out particularly payments as if to justify their contempt.

It was not SW recepients who called for a "Bonus" it was politician's and its not SW recepients who call extra payments "Bonuses" it actually the Department and Government TD'S who refer to these payments as "Bonuses"

corks finest

Bullshit Sweep sweep

Greyfox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119186831#Comment_119186831

The problems are related, a muppet TD wants to give a summer bonus when the fact is there is much more important things to spend tax payers money on.

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058249538/dole-summer-bonus-are-they-for-real

From tradesmen to warehouse and factory operatives those companies you mentioned have pretty high standards and pay well , no dole lifer getting in there 😂😂

Gant21

Leo and his cronies are reducing taxes it seems to help the working person. Good to see, increasing the rock and roll and giving bonuses is bonkers.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119187287#Comment_119187287

They are absolutely NOT related, bringing in emotive Health service incompetence and short comings despite extraordinary levels of Spending has nothing to do with a few politicians seeking a SW "Bonus" and SW bashing which this Thread is essentially about.

The only relevance may be the fact Everyone, especially children are impacted by a poor Health Service and I might add its not front line health care professionals to blame, they are incredible people in every respect, I've personally dealt with them over a number of years.

rob316

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119180761#Comment_119180761

Your full of crap. I live in a 6 house social housing development (I own mine) of the 6 houses only 1 person doesn't work. They all work in trades, retail, IT. Most my friends grew up in social housing all came from homes where everyone worked. This perception that everyone is living in a house for 20 a week on the dole is such bollox. Who could even survive on the dole now? Wouldn't pay for your cans

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119187361#Comment_119187361

Well said 😉

BohsCeltic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119186717#Comment_119186717

The op does not state that though.

cgcsb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119185564#Comment_119185564

Because they can sell for gargantuan inflated prices.

Gant21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119187361#Comment_119187361

Did the Healy raes or some other politician swing the houses for ye?

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119187457#Comment_119187457

The OP nor those in agreement with them had no intention of separating types of SW payments, just focus on generalisations, wild assumptions based on here say, refuse to acknowledge data from actual direct sources and when all else fails resort to emotive tactics, such as Health care crisis as if to justify what is in essence and yet another SW Bashing Thread, tar every SW recipient with the same brush, so to speak and abjectly failing to under stand the many complex reasons for long term unemployment which is tiny in the over all context of thing's.

There are undoubted problems with the SW system, no one denies this , some have tried to offer suggestions , ideas etc, only to be shouted down. The way some are going on, you'd think the entire SW system was rampant with corruption, its quite simply preposterous.

Gant21

The figures of fraud that was published by a poster a few pages back was just reported fraud. How much more has slipped through the net?