Longest spent on the dole?

Senna · 21-02-2011 05:39AM

Professional dole recipients are nothing but pariahs leaching of the system. The dole is there to help people in trouble, not as a substitute for work. I dont believe any government will tackle this issue, its a problem during recessionary times but its the worst time to do anything to fix it, and during times of prosper, any attempt to fix it will be met with strong objections from liberal do-gooders.

AskMyChocolate · 21-02-2011 05:58AM

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

i know a bloke that has been on it since 1983, he doesnt mind admitting that and he sits it in the pub all day, every day drinking, smoking and gambling

He must be a hell of a gambler.

seanybiker · 21-02-2011 06:06AM

I know a few people who are on it since they where old enough to claim it and are more than happy to admit to never wanting to work. I'm on disability myself and even though my problem is possibly a lifelong problem I would love to be off it.

AFC_1903 · 21-02-2011 08:53AM

Danbo! wrote: »

I've been on it for almost 4 months now. I'm 26 and have been working since 14. Had a part time job during school and college and worked any spare time I had including working full time during the summers. I finished my college exams on a Thursday and started work the following Monday.

When I heard I was getting the boot I panicked a bit, but at first it was a nice break from work I'll admit, could do stuff during the week, no getting up at 6.30, etc etc but that wore thin very very quickly...

...I havent a ****ing clue how anyone could do this long term (as in years). I've never been so bored and unmotivated in my life.

I''m in a similar situation except I'm 29 this week and returned to Ireland to live and work again in after my work on mainland Europe finished. I was lead to believe that Ireland was starting to recover... :mad:

The only work I have managed to get has been unpaid and not working is driving me mad. I've worked since I was a small child (I'm from a farming background) and not working is causing me to be, like you, bored and unmotivated but it's also been really been getting me down. I'm trying to fight my way out of it but it's hard at times.

On a more positive note, I've promised myself that I WILL get a job in the next month, and I am working out a rough plan of my self-taught education for the next 6 months. Positivity is good, and I really need to hang on to the bit of momentum I currently have, but I know if I don't get something soon I'll go mad. Again.

cathpa · 21-02-2011 09:29AM

Hold on since when has the sign on day been every 3 months and not once a month?

on a similar note when does the new sign on by text message kick in?

Thundercats Ho · 21-02-2011 11:06AM

I was on the dole for a couple of months during last summer.
I had a holiday booked before the company i was working for closed.

I went into the dole office to see what would happen if i was out of the country on holiday for the week.
I was told not to worry, was given a holiday application form! and as i wouldn't be around to pick up the dole during my holiday, was given a double week on my return.

giant_midget · 21-02-2011 11:32AM

It baffles me how someone can be let stay claiming dole for more than a few years..People who don't contribute to society should not get paid out of societys purse!

The town where i live you see a lot of these loosers (balbriggan), lads in the early 50's parading around in faded denim jackets and cheap pointy leather shoes with a rinse in the hair and sideburns to sustain that "youthfull look"

They all sit on the bench outside the courthouse staring at people/cars going by them, Absolute scum and loosers they are. They are no use to this country and if they were horses, they would be put down!

Duggy747 · 21-02-2011 11:38AM

Being on the dole is boring shìt which is why I'm doing FÁS courses and a WPP1 job, just so I can build up my qualifications and stop me from going nuts.

While €188 is generous to be handed every week it doesn't leave me with a lot after food / bills / rent at the end of a week so I'm saving very little bit by bit.

I miss a decent wage

reverenddave · 21-02-2011 11:44AM

chillywilly wrote: »

I get satisfaction from doing a days work! I'd say being on the dole long-term would get fairly depressing and demotivating.

i'm nearly over 2 years o the dole now

and you're dead right it's without a shadow of a doubt THE WORST time of my life.

luckily i found some courses to do ,and still retain the dole

Faith+1 · 21-02-2011 02:11PM

cathpa wrote: »

Hold on since when has the sign on day been every 3 months and not once a month?

My friend signs on in the Navan Road office. He was told last week that he doesn't have to sign on again until May. The reason for this is because the Social Welfare offices are understaffed and cannot cope with the demands of people signing on every month. Having a recruitment freeze doesn't exactly help matters either.

God I love this country.:rolleyes:

3ndahalfof6 · 21-02-2011 02:18PM

Faith+1 wrote: »

My friend signs on in the Navan Road office. He was told last week that he doesn't have to sign on again until May. The reason for this is because the Social Welfare offices are understaffed and cannot cope with the demands of people signing on every month. Having a recruitment freeze doesn't exactly help matters either.

God I love this country.:rolleyes:

So do people just a plane hop away, I hear they work in the UK and go home once a month to sign on and collect there bounty which is use to help pay for the pad they bought in the UK,

now that you only sign on once every three months at least they will be able to save the price of two plane trips,

Faith+1 · 21-02-2011 02:22PM

3ndahalfof6 wrote: »

So do people just a plane hop away, I hear they work in the UK and go home once a month to sign on and collect there bounty which is use to help pay for the pad they bought in the UK,

now that you only sign on once every three months at least they will be able to save the price of two plane trips,

Not exactly sure on that one, but I do know people in the bordering counties sign on in the south because of our very generous rates. There was some town in cavan that had 12,500 people signing on when the population was there was only 5,000!

21-02-2011 02:30PM

[Jackass] wrote: »

I don't know what you're all complaining about, I think the dole is well fair.

I'm hearing ya bro'

Ironman76 · 21-02-2011 02:50PM

I was on it when i left school for 18 months. Have been working ever since and im 35 now. Getting canned next week and Im dreading it. Been in my current job 10 months. Oddly enough though Ive never had more going for me than I do now as I have a good qualification and experience in a decent industry.

As someone said, the free time sounds good but Id imagine that novelty quickly wears off. Also I called querying rent allowance last week and yer man was a complete w**ker on the phone.

Im giving it 6 months, nothing going then ill be out of here.

Chris P. Bacon · 21-02-2011 03:03PM

A friend of mine is on it since he was 18 he's about 27 now and he has no intention of working for the rest of his life,he gets about €300+ a week that's including rent allowance,the way he looks at it is why get off it when he can clearly survive on it.

I remember on a very hot day last year during the summer,he calls into me at around 12:30 on a Tuesday,i was working evenings that week starting at 14:00,he doesn't have a car so he's in looking for me to go to the beach for the day,so he says what you up to for the day "ah im working at 2 boy",'WHAT!! your working today','sure the sun is splitting the rocks outside',"yeah i know but i still have to work no matter if its sunny or not.He just couldn't understand a person working on a hot summers day,so he just went drinking cans somewhere for the day!

squeakyduck · 21-02-2011 03:09PM

I left my last job in May last year, had to give two weeks notice to my previous job and my new job let me have a week off before I started. 3 weeks of nothing. The first week was ok, the second week I went on holiday, third week I was crawling the walls I was so bored.

I couldn't live on the dole, not enough money and I'd be SOOOO bored.

Asphyxia · 21-02-2011 04:07PM

When I finished school I went on the dole for a couple of months it was helpful I was able to give my parents some money and save. Some people just take advantage and have intension of doing anything... pretty sad really.

I started a course and work in a playschool but the hours aren't always the best so I had to go on BTEA until June. I'm not ashamed of it though because i'm still getting up and doing something unlike others.

jackiebaron · 21-02-2011 05:26PM

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

And we wonder why our country is up sh1t creek.:rolleyes:

Yeah, like a few dole birds caused the Irish financial markets to melt down!

Get a grip!

ScumLord · 21-02-2011 05:37PM

Yakult wrote: »

Dont blame the player.

If the system is open to abuse (like it clearly is) people will abuse it. Simple.

QFT.

The human animal is adept at analysing systems and finding ways of benefiting from it. It's what we do and once they've found a comfortable way of benefiting from something they will go to great lengths to protect it as any other animal on the planet would.

When dealing with people as a whole they should be seen as animals and their animal behaviour should be taken into account when developing systems.

spoofilyj · 21-02-2011 05:39PM

I've never been on the Dole, but appreciate that people get into situations where they need help for a while to get back on their feet.

I worked all the way through school and college and when I finished college and found getting a job applicable to my degree difficult I worked as a monager of a 4 Star Pizza resraunt for a six months. Did me the world of good and got me nice and motivated to find work.

I worked for two years in an investment Bank then Lehman Bro's collapsed and within three months was made redundant. Was very scared as had bought a new car and renting a house but with hard work and lots of luck
I applied for 400 jobs in two weeks and got one interview and got that job and two years on I'm laughing.

I think its tough for people long term on the dole to snap out of it and get the motivation to keep applying for jobs, I have several friends who have been on the dole for the last two years and the constant feeling of rejection for failed applications can get to you after a while.
Lots are just emigrating as they are sick of either being under or over qualifed for jobs.

wolfpawnat · 21-02-2011 05:45PM

On it for nearly 2 years now, had a baby so could not afford college creche

No career, féck all jobs going, spend about 10 a week on printing cv's. It is demoralizing and depressing, I hate every minute of it! No self respect waiting to sign on in the middle of a bunch of people who thing PRSI and PAYE are sexually transmitted diseases!

Can't wait to get out of this rut!

gcgirl · 21-02-2011 06:07PM

Yr and a half longest time though had to do that to avail of BTEA

dj jarvis · 21-02-2011 06:09PM

jackiebaron wrote: »

Yeah, like a few dole birds caused the Irish financial markets to melt down!

Get a grip!

they might not have caused the crash but people taking the piss are stopping others who really need it ,

one guy in my estate is the most anti social f****R i have ever seen , cops always at his gaff , always up in court , 3 family's in the area moved because of his and his family's harassment,
he has NEVER worked a day in his life , has 7 kids and a wife
so including dole, rent allowance , child benefit , fuel allowance , back to school money and all the rest he is getting close 2 40,000 a year un taxed,
for me to receive the same after tax i have to earn nearly 80,000 a year

is this right ? NO WAY

and his kids are growing up the same , scum like this should have ALL payments stopped and watch how quickly they get jobs and start behaving ,
have no problem with true job seekers or people on disability getting help , none

but this guy should be strung up

ricero · 21-02-2011 06:09PM

paconnors wrote: »

My dad knows a fella on the dole since he was 16 my dad is 63 now and your man can smoke and drink 7 days a week.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/08/09/article-1043167-03C3FCF00000044D-145_224x379.jpg

RxQueen · 21-02-2011 06:44PM

I was on it for 6 months and coming to the end of the six months was seriously beginning to get depressed.

Im 24 and some of the people i went to school with never worked a day ever by choice... really dont know why.

Although they are all living out on there own and are always in the pub, so maybe im missing something cause i sure can afford to do that ! but then im mean with when it comes to my money

stovelid · 21-02-2011 07:04PM

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

i know a bloke that has been on it since 1983, he doesnt mind admitting that and he sits it in the pub all day, every day drinking, smoking and gambling

Where does he drink? I'm moving there. Sounds dirt cheap.

dj jarvis wrote: »

he is getting close 2 40,000 a year un taxed,
for me to receive the same after tax i have to earn nearly 80,000 a year
p

Are you his accountant?

Mister men · 21-02-2011 07:10PM

I was on it for a year back in 2006. Took time off work to raise the baby for a year whilst the other half went back into the workplace after maternity leave. Best thing i ever did. Could'nt believe it. 295 euro a week i think it was. Payed 18 years of taxes since i left school so did'nt feel a bit guilty in the slightest tbh about not being bothered to look for work. They did'nt ask me once if i had applied for a job in that year it's no wonder the career spongers get away with it.

STIG83 · 21-02-2011 07:14PM

Ive been on part time since this time last year, im fully let go for a while though.

Mister men · 21-02-2011 07:19PM

dj jarvis wrote: »

they might not have caused the crash but people taking the piss are stopping others who really need it ,

one guy in my estate is the most anti social f****R i have ever seen , cops always at his gaff , always up in court , 3 family's in the area moved because of his and his family's harassment,
he has NEVER worked a day in his life , has 7 kids and a wife
so including dole, rent allowance , child benefit , fuel allowance , back to school money and all the rest he is getting close 2 40,000 a year un taxed,
for me to receive the same after tax i have to earn nearly 80,000 a year

is this right ? NO WAY

and his kids are growing up the same , scum like this should have ALL payments stopped and watch how quickly they get jobs and start behaving ,
have no problem with true job seekers or people on disability getting help , none

but this guy should be strung up

Agree but unfortunately there are to many dogooders in this country who enable people like this to live the life they do.

Danbo! · 21-02-2011 07:53PM

Mister men wrote: »

They did'nt ask me once if i had applied for a job in that year it's no wonder the career spongers get away with it.

That really surprised me too. The first 2 times I signed on I brought an envelope packed full of printed emails, probably about 70-100 applications. Got to the counter, signed my name and thats it done. An absolute joke.

There is also the misconception that if you can't get a job you are turning down jobs that are below you. Not true. It's very hard to get a job as a cleaner or in a shop or whatever when you only have office experience in a particular industry. In my case my experience is in architecture, my cv doesnt get a second look. They either assume I'd be bad at it/won't care about it/leave the second I find an architect post.

Longest spent on the dole?

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