St Vincent de paul

chacha11

I've never asked them for help before. I lost my job this year and I've been struggling. I asked them for help. The guy said he would come out to my house last Friday at a certain time. He cancelled and didn't come .

He rang and said that he would come yesterday at 8.30 pm. Then he rang and cancelled at 8pm.

He emailed me and asked me what times during the day would suit me. I said today would suit me any time in the afternoon time. Can you tell me what time you're coming.

He said "oh I'll have to see whos available".

I rang them today and they still don'tknow if anyone is coming today or not.

They said I can't go into the office to get it myself.

In so stressed! They've cancelled twice. Surely it should be easier to get help. Or at least tell me a time and stick to it. I can't keep sitting in every day indefinitely for them. I was meant to go visit my mother

zell12

Talk to Joe

chacha11

I definitely won't be ringing Joe. I just feel sad that I asked for help when I was at my lowest and they are kind of messing me round. It made me feel even worse. I know they're probably busy but if they make an appointment I wish they'd stick to it

Kalimah

That's very sad. Are you getting all that you are entitled to from Social Welfare? I hope things will improve for you.

Pawwed Rig

I would say staffing might be an issue for them.

Just keep trying I guess. Not much help though

chacha11

@kalimah thanks I'm not entitled to the christmas bonus or fuel allowance which would have really helped me. You have to be long term unemployed to qualify which doesn't make a lot of sense. Why are long term unemployed people more deserving of the christmas bonus and fuel allowance. I was employed earlier in the year.im unemployed about five months, so am not entitled to anything like fuel allowance

cena

I am not a fan of this group. They pick and choose who they want to help. They have meetings to pick who they want to help. My mom was with them for a awhile and left because they don't help everyone out

pgj2015

Red C live

Acumen panel.ie

opinion world.ie

opinions.ie

mobrog.ie

ireach.ie

Irish opinions.ie

Not sure if you do online surveys but they might help you a bit, some pay money, some pay in e vouchers like amazon.uk

ruth...less

When I was a kid I always thought st Vincent de Paul was a very mysterious thing. I didn't know what it was and for some reason I connected that the people who said 'Help the Halloween party ' rather than trick or treat at the door at Halloween were working for them.

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470923#Comment_121470923

Do you think they should give the money people donate to them out to just everybody who asks for money?

Agent Coulson

Those who call to houses are volunteers and they suffer from a serious lack of volunteers as the demand for there help grows every year and the majority of those volunteers are reitred people.

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121478842#Comment_121478842

You would think they could "encourage" some of the beneficiaries to assist in the fundraising side 🤔

cute geoge

I would love to know what % of people take the piss of St SdP ,every Christmas ,my neighbour who has 2 jobs gets his delivery of 4 or 5 bags of coal as well as how much more Chrostmas hampers .Wtf do they just fire out stuff to every tom ,dick and Harry and have then have little left for the genuine cases

GHOST MGG

SVP are a lifeline for a lot of people.

The demand for its services especially at this time of year is beyond crazy.

SVP is predominantly run by volunteers who give their time to help others.

Im sure they will get to you soon but in the meantime go the the social welfare relief officer and explain your situation and see if he can help you.

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121479476#Comment_121479476

Do you think your neighbour is taking the piss?

cute geoge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121482975#Comment_121482975

In my book he is ,he is working ,the wife is on D.A. " kids are all working .doubt he has mortage at 60 and being a builder ,goes on at least 2 holidays every year but what do I know

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121483886#Comment_121483886

ok, maybe report him so? I would if I thought they were taking something others are in more need of.

dxhound2005

One of those close knit communities where everyone knows everyone else's business.

Spanish Eyes

Sorry to hear about your struggles OP. Don't forget that there is 175 euro in your electric account as Government credit, with another on the way in the New year. That might help, but not if your heating is gas or oil based though.

Anyone know what the definition of "long term unemployed" is? I agree with you OP that those recently made redundant or who have lost their jobs are those who overnight have difficulty, perhaps have high mortgages, bills and so on matching their working lifestyle, they should get the same bonuses others get. I don't know why they don't.

Keep on at SVP, and as a pp said, go to DSP and see if they can give you immediate emergency help. Would your bank give you an overdraft facility until you get another job?

Maybe talk to Citizens Information (if they still exist) and get some more information about what you may qualify for in your circumstances. If you don't ask, you don't get.

cute geoge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121484048#Comment_121484048

well he lives next door so i am not going to report him or support st.vdp either .What would you do?

gipi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121484088#Comment_121484088

The credit is 150 euro, not 175.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121484244#Comment_121484244

Just regard it as a version of a sort of myth that is common all round Ireland.

mikemac2

Sorry to hear OP. I found Citizen Information staff and their website very helpful to me. Department of Social Protection staff can be abrupt but if they see you are trying and doing your best I got a lot of kindness from DSP Ballyfermot and DSP Blanchardstown.

The fact that the long term unemployed get a bonus but the recently unemployed get nothing is a shame. Heather Humphreys seems to have a lot of influence and got many billions for her department but this remains unaddressed

France, Luxembourg, Germany or any decent nation which means not the USA or UK you get a percentage of your salary for a set period. In Ireland the person with a family to support and a ruinous mortgage despite decades of tax contributions gets the same as somebody who never had a job in their life.

We are in the EU and other EU nations just do not do it this way. What happened to Leo Varadkar rewarding those who get up early in the morning. 🤔

dxhound2005

Heather has been listening.

Philip Ryan (Irish Independent)

Mon 20 Nov 2023 at 02:30

Workers who lose their jobs will get pay-related benefits for up to nine months after they become unemployed, under a plan being brought to the Cabinet.

A revised version of the significant reform of the welfare system will introduce a graduated system of payments to support workers who suddenly become unemployed. But it will also seek to encourage them to return to work.

As part of the three-stage process, unemployed workers will initially be paid 60pc of their previous earnings, or up to €450 per week for up to three months after they lose their job. It was originally proposed that this payment would last for six months. However, following high-level government talks, it has been decided to reduce the term for the top payment to three months and gradually taper the enhanced state benefits over nine months.

After the first three-month period, the payment will reduce to 55pc of earnings, or up to €375 per week, and this will last for a further three months.

If a person still has not found employment, they will get 50pc of their earnings up to €300 for a final three months.

QuayBoarder

I know someone with a 2013 Merc who gets coal from VDP. I wouldn't tell but I wouldn't support VDP either. He's a nice man but thats not right. He has serious mental problems and spends a lot of time in hospital. He would help people too but it's not right.

A few years ago I overheard a man in a restaurant tell how he got a fridge on the ESB bill, when you could pay a bit with each bill. He sold the fridge for money for Christmas. His friend said you will still have to pay on your bill but he said VDP paid his bill so he didn't care.

Where is a good place to give some donation? Is the place where Brother Kevin in Dublin gives Christmas hampers a good place.? I heard on RTE radio news that people were queing at 4a.m for tickets for a hamper they can collect for Christmas. I would help genuine people, like the OP but not people like the fridge guy above.

Edited for typos

dxhound2005

ESB stopped supplying fridges in 2005.