Seetec and CE scheme

Betty spaghetti

Hi, I have a query to which I can't find any clear answer.

So last year in August I had to quit my job for health reasons, in the meantime I got signed on with Seetec which I started attending in November, in January I found a position to get back to work in a CE scheme which I started last week. I don't have a car so I had asked in Seetec before hand if I had to still attend their appointments as it'd make really difficult to go to work and attend the appointments too ( very little public transport around these parts and my home, job location and seetec office are located in 3 different towns). Seetec workers keep insisting that I have to still attend their appointments or they will cut down my payments. Today the seetec guy suggested I'd leave the CE scheme if I am not able to attend both. He keeps insisting that the CE scheme is not a job and I have to attend their appointments and still look for full time job or he'll report me to the department and cut down my payment

Does anyone have any clear information about the issue?

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058408014/seetec-and-ce-scheme

Outrageous advice & Blatantly wrong.

The Fact you are on a CE scheme means you are no longer obligated to engage with Seetac. You are not even technically unemployed & now an employee of the CE scheme.

I would not only advise DSP of what Seetac Told you, I'd be emailing Seetac advising them to cease contacting you.

As long as you continue to take part in the CE scheme, DSP or Seetac can not sanction you.

Betty spaghetti

So I called the DSP as you advised and they said I don't have to do both! That they will contact my local Intreo office and explain the situation. They said my payment on the CE scheme is not coming from the department so Seetec cannot cut down my payment! Oh my god! The cheek on them! I kept saying this to the Seetec guy yesterday on the phone and he hung up on me saying "I will give you another appointment and if you don't attend that one I will cut down your payment!"

I'm sooo relieved!

Thanks for your advice! And I hope this thread will help others too!

Wanderer78

way to go government in encouraging people back into employment!

best of luck op, great to hear you re well on your way back into full time work

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123404258#Comment_123404258

Delighted for you. I'm so sick and Tired of the Blatant bullying & lies from Seetac.

As I mentioned you are an employee of the CE scheme & your payment can not be reduced nor do sanctions apply. It's worth mentioning, had you listened to these fools & left the CE scheme, you could have faced difficulty having your SW payment reinstated. Seetac don't care about people or the consequences of their actions.

Anyway, delighted you got this resolved, we'll done

Betty spaghetti

You are absolutely right! I didn't even think about that, what reason would I have written for quitting the CE scheme, left the job because I couldn't attend Seetec appointments???

See this was the second time I had to deal with them, in 2017 I had a part-time job, it wasn't much but in this area, to have something stable all year around is a huge achievement. Well, I got called in by Seetec and they harassed me so much I eventually was forced to leave the part-time job and go in "education", to think they got paid for that still makes me angry! But at that time I was so scared of them I actually followed their "advice". This time, I talked to them beforehand because I didn't want the same situation to repeat, it's a small community around here and I don't want to ruin my "working reputation". I am so glad this time I stood my ground.

Can you imagine the "service" who is paid to help you get back to work actually bullying you into leaving your job and actually getting paid for it???

Absolute madness!

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123405422#Comment_123405422

i know someone that presented a long term doctors cert so that they could withdraw from the whole process, yet it some how wasnt valid within the organisation!

Betty spaghetti

It wasn't valid for Seetec?

Sonic the Shaghog

I know it's petty but if I were you I'd email said advisor with what you said

"hi John just wanted to follow up RE what you said. Is it correct that if I am in an CE scheme I still have to attend with Seetec and that if I don't you will have my payment cut? I've been mulling over your advice to withdraw from the scheme as it's a not a proper job and wondering would you still think it's a good idea to withdraw?"

Then if he's stupid enough to put it on paper I'd be sending it to the department and all your local TDs, I burned Turas Nua years ago after the recession. I got a job myself and signed off the dole. Yet my advisor kept sending my Cv to loads to employers who would ring me out of the blue about "my application" they weren't happy when I told them I was already employed and I don't know who employed on my behalf. Then they kept hounding me to know who my new employer was for their "records" so they could send them a form and claim they got me the job. Let's just say I got a grovelling apologie letter when the department was finished with them after a good local TD was informed. He wasn't a big fan of them despite being a FG TD to be fair to him

jay1988

The seetec advisors get paid commission for every person the get back working over 30 hours per week, even if they source the job themselves the seetec advisor will harass them for the details of the employment so they can claim commission, an odious organisation.

Sonic the Shaghog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123405533#Comment_123405533

Bang on

Betty spaghetti

🤣🤣🤣 oh my I'd love that!!! 😂😂😂 But I might just stick to put a formal complaint with DSP.

Still great idea!

Betty spaghetti

I figured something like that. Both times I dealt with them they didn't do actually anything in helping me find anything, I did find this job myself and the first time they "forced" me to leave part-time job and into education they never helped me with anything about sourcing funds or finding information about it. They just bullied me into getting into full time education and got their cut…