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

I haven't read the full thread so this might have already been addressed, but here goes anyway.

If you're long-term unemployed, paying reduced rent in a council house or receiving HAP, have a medical card and extra payments for dependents you can live quite comfortably on social welfare.

If you've been working, have a mortgage or pay full market rate rent, no medical card or additional payments you would struggle on the PUP.

The 2 situations aren't comparable.

Nutn but snakes in dis thread.

Absolutely and well said, for some inexplicable and disturbing reason there's a small cohort in Irish Society that need to kick people when they are down and because of a small number of high profile cases automatically assume everyone on SW is playing the system, Lazy and beneath contempt.

Absolutely, have a debate, analyse what's going on but these threads as its title suggests and along with other threads have only one intention, Spew false information and spread hateful commentary.

People forget there are users of Boards, struggling and perhaps in desperate circumstances through no fault of theirs reading bile like what's being posted in these nasty threads and they care not a Jot about how comments may affect others. It's disgusting.

I spent almost two years trying to help users on Boards, navigate challenges during the Pandemic, primarily the PUP payment, understanding entitlements, directing people to advice centres, Ordinary, Decent people who found themselves unemployed for the first time in their lives who went on to develop other personal challenges. I'm no expert but took the time to research and help along with more experienced posters to try and help people.

The bile I witnessed at time was shocking but thankfully many people bounced back and were greatful for the little, I and other users did.

That awful Cliché "We're all in this Together" was infact the greatest lie to come out of the Pandemic.

Fascinating an article quoted from 2021, not withstanding a global pandemic in full swing the issues surrounding long term unemployment are extremely complex and not as you seem to think, Black and white.

Of course there's a cohort who just have no intention of working (what society doesn't) but to assume all on long term JSA don't want to work is a stretch. Some of this cohert maybe bordeline unfit to work but don't qualify for disability, Some may have limited abilities to interact, engage, Some may have criminal backgrounds, convictions meaning they find it impossible to gain employment, some may be one CE schemes, some may have no transport, there's just too many variables at play to say one way or another all long term unemployed Don't want to work.

If the Department, determine after numerous attempts a person is a lost cause or perhaps just don't have to abilities or qualifications to obtain employment or a person is Just unemployable because of past History, they don't move people onto Disibility or non Jobseekers payments, every medically related SW payment has to go through a strict review process and medical sign off.

Wether people like it or not, every society will have long term unemployment and the reasons for it very, very, very complex.

Moving 50,000 of the long-term JSA people into employment would benefit everybody.

More output

Lower JSA expenditure = 500m

More tax revenue

Can people in receipt of JSB (not JSA or Illness etc) receive any other income other than the €208?

@Danno, just spotted your slur re my employment situation and whilst none of your business let me enlighten you about the person I am.

I had a 30 year very successful career in Hospitality, worked in over 15 countries, visited over 70, worked also in the voluntary sector, helped out at homeless shelters and direct provision .

Purchased my humble home 21 years ago, small mortgage remaining, semi retired but do have a long term illness and not on DA.

Brought up in state care for 16 years, have 13 brothers and sisters I've never met, faced homelessness, earned substantial salaries and in essence have experience both the highs and lows in life. I got no hand outs and certainly no support from the state and was fecked out on the street when I was 18. Did I falter, yes but forged a career through ruthless determination.

I'd like to think my experienced in life helps me better form judgements and look at individual situations on there merits. I've learned to respect people and equally don't suffer fools gladly. As a chef, I'd have made Gordon Ramsey blush (I worked for him too)

You know nothing about me, I'm not struggling, that doesn't mean I can't show compassion and understanding, the same qualities shown to me by very decent people in my youth. I've seen poverty that would make your head spin and equally worked for people who's wealth would also make your head spin.

I make no apology for having an open mind, respect for others and always trying to understand why someone is in difficulties and try and help when I can.

Don't assume your dealing with left wing loonies when judging posters.

You make excellent points and perhaps mental illness not fully understood or even diagnosed in many people. There's also a number of insurmountable hurdles for some people living very rurally, I'm from Dublin but have lived in rural Ireland for 21 years apart from when I worked abroad or lived on site at various jobs.

I should however point out that during the Pandemic, claimants were given the option to have their payments made directly to their bank, credit union but that's come to an end, all new jobseekers payment claims have to be collected at PO and the department is gradually returning all existing claimants back to PO for collection. It is only in very specific and normal situations, pre pandemic a person may be permitted to have payment made to bank and these requests made on a case by case basis.

Spoke to a buddy working in Intel recently, there was much fanfare about the arrival of a very complex machine recently (I won't pretend to know what it was) but its reckoned when fully operational, there'll be quite a few redundancies.

Possibly but the problem is the very complex Means Testing Rules. JSB is only paid if a person has enough contributions and I believe for 6 or 9 months, there's still the requirement, must be seeking employment but it's not means tested.

JSA is means tested and actually because there are possibly further allowances for dependent children etc, some people opt for this rather than JSB which has essentially no additional allowances attached.

I'd just say this €208 per week in the current climate is tight and should also point out JSB can be paid at lower rates, payment determined is reflective of previous gross earning also, it's some times assumed, incorrectly JSB is automatically paid at the highest rate, it is not and many who were earning minimum wage or PT hours can find themselves getting a much lower JSB payment.

There are additional allowances for children (and spouse\partner) on JSB. It is means-tested but it does exist.

People who opt for JSA rather than JSB may have a patchy PRSI record, so do better on the means-tested payment.

Me too, astonishing 😁