TUS Programme

luvs2spooge · 08-04-2013 05:53PM

Hi all,

Got a letter today to sign up for this scheme.

After reading all the stories im horrified and extremely apprehensive about this "scheme". Being forced into part time work for a non profit organisation or else your payment will be cut!?!?-how is the even legal?

I was on jobbridge for almost 3 months in Dublin. I decided to stick with it for as long as possible even though the job i was doing wasnt as advertised and frankly it was nearly costing me money each week between rent(105 pw), petrol(between 55-90 pw) and living costs. So i decided enough was enough. It feels now im being punished for not completing the internship. Am I overreacting a bit?

Im actively seeking work at the moment with the odd interview here and there and I have a degree too but seems to be worthless these days.

Im also angered by these "Bill Cullen" type posters on here preaching from their high horse to the unemployed. Try walk a mile in opur shoes and well soon see how theyd like it!

The thing is if I wanted to do voluntary work id do it in a field i was interested in, but this just feels like ill have very little say in the the final outcome and will either have to like it or lump it?

Would the Citizens Info be the best place to get advice on this matter or what options do i have, seems to me I have very little?

mrbrown69 · 08-04-2013 06:05PM

Limericks wrote: »

Went for the meeting two weeks ago in front of 3 very nice people. They asked me what I would be interested in doing and where I would like to do it.

Gave them my preferences and now I have an interview in an hour with a job that sounds like I will enjoy it very much.

I do not mind doing this as it is only 19 hours a week which still gives me loads of time to find a proper job or a second part time job (Was told this is allowed)

Will report back here after the interview and let you all know how i get on.

Course it is...why the hell wouldn't it be?? while in this programme you can take up other part time work, you can look for full time work as you would anyaway and leave it at any time should you get a proper job, no obligations (and remember once done with it you can't do it again for another 3 years)...

the only obligation I'd imagine is once you've signed to it and are unsuccessful in getting a job you really have to stick with it for the 12 months, can't see the SW looking kindly on someone quitting to sign back on

smiley_face400 · 08-04-2013 07:49PM

luvs2spooge wrote: »

Hi all,

Got a letter today to sign up for this scheme.

After reading all the stories im horrified and extremely apprehensive about this "scheme". Being forced into part time work for a non profit organisation or else your payment will be cut!?!?-how is the even legal?

I was on jobbridge for almost 3 months in Dublin. I decided to stick with it for as long as possible even though the job i was doing wasnt as advertised and frankly it was nearly costing me money each week between rent(105 pw), petrol(between 55-90 pw) and living costs. So i decided enough was enough. It feels now im being punished for not completing the internship. Am I overreacting a bit?

Im actively seeking work at the moment with the odd interview here and there and I have a degree too but seems to be worthless these days.

Im also angered by these "Bill Cullen" type posters on here preaching from their high horse to the unemployed. Try walk a mile in opur shoes and well soon see how theyd like it!

The thing is if I wanted to do voluntary work id do it in a field i was interested in, but this just feels like ill have very little say in the the final outcome and will either have to like it or lump it?

Would the Citizens Info be the best place to get advice on this matter or what options do i have, seems to me I have very little?

According to both TUS and SW the people who get referred to TUS are picked at random (at least that's what they tell us poor schmoes)

You're going to have to say yes anyway or else your payment will be cut straight away. You may as well go along to the induction as there seems to be very little information on it out there and they do give you a pretty comprehensive overview. Tell them what you're willing/not willing to do. If they don't have anything that suits you they're not going to force you into a random placement.

Spoke to an old friend of mine recently who was referred last year, she went along to both the induction and the one to one interview and was told afterwards that they'd be in touch when they had something suitable, she's never heard from them since.

I'm going for it a: because I have to, and b: because it'll at least keep me occupied for a couple of hours a day on top of the online ECDL course I'm doing through FAS. That doesn't mean I agree with it though because it's basically a forced labour scheme and now it's being reported that unemployment numbers are down when they're really not, it's just that people are being forced off the dole and into this

LegacyUser · 12-04-2013 04:58PM

completed the tus programme and have now been told by the welfare that my jobseekers benefit will not commence the week after completing the programme and may not commence the week after either. we were told by tus to go into the welfare office the monday after completion which according to the welfare office was too late to get benefit to recommence the week after our final tus payment. very annoyed. if anyone is going to do this programme this year i suggest bringing this matter up. and anyone going to the welfare office on the monday after completion for an appointment they thought they had, you do not have an appointment as i was told and will only be able to make one on monday so god knows when you will get paid. nice reward for a year of hard work...

Dunny · 14-04-2013 08:27AM

Turns out that TUS didnt inform the Revenue I was working for them! Ridiculous.

smiley_face400 · 15-04-2013 02:41AM

tus "participant" wrote: »

completed the tus programme and have now been told by the welfare that my jobseekers benefit will not commence the week after completing the programme and may not commence the week after either. we were told by tus to go into the welfare office the monday after completion which according to the welfare office was too late to get benefit to recommence the week after our final tus payment. very annoyed. if anyone is going to do this programme this year i suggest bringing this matter up. and anyone going to the welfare office on the monday after completion for an appointment they thought they had, you do not have an appointment as i was told and will only be able to make one on monday so god knows when you will get paid. nice reward for a year of hard work...

As far as I know once the placement ends you've to go back in to SW and sign on again same as if you became unemployed from any other job as you were technically employed ie. not being paid by the government. As you know, this can take a little while to process but once it's all sorted they'll back date your payment to the date you made the claim and continue with a regular weekly payment.

I wad told all this in both my induction and one to one interview but maybe they've finally got their heads screwed on straight instead of flying blind like they were when this was started

RikkFlair · 18-04-2013 09:55AM

Anyone know what would happen in this situation....suppose I'm looking to do voluntary work for a year (same hours as TUS, 20 a week) with an organisation that would be very suitable for putting on my CV with view to applying for a postgrad next year.

But I've gotten the letter this week about putting my name forward for TUS....are they gonna have the attitude of "no, you'll take what you get on TUS, forget about your voluntary work" ?

Like I said, I know the organisation and have contacts there and it would be of huge benefit to work there and get experience on a volunteer basis, rather than be shoved into something that is of no relevance.

Mr McBoatface · 18-04-2013 10:31AM

RikkFlair wrote: »

Anyone know what would happen in this situation....suppose I'm looking to do voluntary work for a year (same hours as TUS, 20 a week) with an organisation that would be very suitable for putting on my CV with view to applying for a postgrad next year.

But I've gotten the letter this week about putting my name forward for TUS....are they gonna have the attitude of "no, you'll take what you get on TUS, forget about your voluntary work" ?

Like I said, I know the organisation and have contacts there and it would be of huge benefit to work there and get experience on a volunteer basis, rather than be shoved into something that is of no relevance.

That would be an easy placement for a TUS team leader to have on his books, they would most likely jump on the opportunity to have you there and build links with a community/charity group. The only problem may be if a CE scheme (community employment schemes) is in place in the charity/organisation you are dealing with. CE (IMPACT trade union) they don’t like TUS working alongside them.

At the interview tell them you are heavily involved with the charity and are looking to build a career in the area they deal with, that a placement there will help you secure a future job.

The INOU can advise you better than any web forum.

mrbrown69 · 23-04-2013 03:16PM

What's the craic with the tax on this? the brother has been signed up to this for a few weeks now....first 3 weeks he paid 9 odd euro in tax which is fair enough he'd get it back, last week it bumped up to over 40! leaving him worse off than when on SW

Tus officer promised him he wouldn't be paying tax before signing up :rolleyes:

smiley_face400 · 23-04-2013 03:39PM

mrbrown69 wrote: »

What's the craic with the tax on this? the brother has been signed up to this for a few weeks now....first 3 weeks he paid 9 odd euro in tax which is fair enough he'd get it back, last week it bumped up to over 40! leaving him worse off than when on SW

Tus officer promised him he wouldn't be paying tax before signing up :rolleyes:

He's being emergency taxed. If you're earning less than €352 a week (I think, check citizens info site) then you shouldn't be paying any tax. Get him to get in touch with his tus rep and the tax office and he'll get it all back

Dunny · 25-04-2013 01:04AM

mrbrown69 wrote: »

What's the craic with the tax on this? the brother has been signed up to this for a few weeks now....first 3 weeks he paid 9 odd euro in tax which is fair enough he'd get it back, last week it bumped up to over 40! leaving him worse off than when on SW

Tus officer promised him he wouldn't be paying tax before signing up :rolleyes:

Tell him to get down to the tax office. Same happened me.

smiley_face400 · 25-04-2013 02:11AM

Had an interview yesterday an have now been informed by my tus rep that I'm starting on the 6th May. Sounds pretty good and also seems relevant to my existing skills on which I can build. It's only 19.5hrs so plenty of time to search for something more permanent and maybe do a few courses to upskill. I know it's annoying being forced into a position where you have to take a placement or face losing your payments altogether but it at least allows you to network and you might meet somebody who could get you something more permanent with more hours which is exactly what I plan on doing. It has helped to consider tus as like a temp agency and I fully intend on treating them like one if this new place isn't what I've been told it is

smiley_face400 · 25-04-2013 09:16AM

RE: The form you are given to sign yourself off the dole.

You sign the form at your Tús interview, leaving the start date blank. Once you're accepted into a placement you'll be given back the form to put the start date on and bring to your social welfare office to get it processed. You then bring it back to your Tús officer where they will process it also.

So, in short, if you sign it at your initial meet with Tús nothing will happen with it until you get a placement. However, if you're uncomfortable signing it too early you could always sign it after you get your placement but before you start.

mrbrown69 · 25-04-2013 03:57PM

Dunny wrote: »

Tell him to get down to the tax office. Same happened me.

Was paid back his tax in full this week which aint too bad

smiley_face400 · 03-05-2013 11:01PM

So starting in Unesco on Tuesday. Was speaking with the woman who interviewed me today about start times/hours/whatnot. Turns out I've been completely mis-sold this position. She was asking me about what age groups I'd be comfortable working with when what I signed up and interviewed for was reception/admin not bloody youth work. I told them in tus that under no circumstances would I work with children cos I'm just not a kiddy person. Bollox to that if they make me try to work with kids. Told her as much and ready to bite the heads off arseholes in Tus as well as going straight to a journalist friend of mine if they don't sort me out with what I asked for instead of what they lied to me about. If they're forcing us into taking a placement then I'm going to make it work for me rather than arseing about for a year with something not relevant to my skills and then ending up back on the dole.

zenno · 08-05-2013 01:16AM

smiley_face400 wrote: »

So starting in Unesco on Tuesday. Was speaking with the woman who interviewed me today about start times/hours/whatnot. Turns out I've been completely mis-sold this position. She was asking me about what age groups I'd be comfortable working with when what I signed up and interviewed for was reception/admin not bloody youth work. I told them in tus that under no circumstances would I work with children cos I'm just not a kiddy person. Bollox to that if they make me try to work with kids. Told her as much and ready to bite the heads off arseholes in Tus as well as going straight to a journalist friend of mine if they don't sort me out with what I asked for instead of what they lied to me about. If they're forcing us into taking a placement then I'm going to make it work for me rather than arseing about for a year with something not relevant to my skills and then ending up back on the dole.

Youth work, that's strange because they clearly say that you will only be given work that is suitable to you so i find it crazy that they would go back on their verbal agreement and just stick someone into something that is not suitable.

They asked me would i work with kids and youth and i told them absolutely not as that is not what i would like to work at at all, and they said ok, but they tried a few times again in asking me and i made it abundantly clear i would not work with children or youth.

I haven't heard anything back from TUS yet as i think there is a 16 week wait for the garda vetting. They better not try that crap with me as i will be wanting a written statement regarding the work i choose i want to do of which they say they will give me.

@ Smiley: contact your supervisor and tell him/her you did not agree to do youth work and make it clear that you have already told them this numerous times. Definitely out of order indeed.

Did they say they will train you to work with children & youth ? surely a person needs training when dealing with children & youth. It looks like they are just forcing people into this youth program even though there is no training, it seems very unprofessional and this needs to be dealt with as it is not what is written on the TUS document in relation to the fact that you will only be given a job of which is suitable to your needs.

With you, the job description you asked for and was told would be suitable for you was not honoured so you have a case.

smiley_face400 · 08-05-2013 01:32AM

Government departments "clearly say" a lot of things that they don't adhere to. Today wasn't so bad, explained that I thought this was a reception position and that I just don't have the patience to work with children. She's said that they only need to know if they're over booked in any way and need assistance but that the main job is reception/admin. Think it was just a case of crossed wires with Tus not giving me the whole story when unesco thought they had.

You really have to hound these Tus people to follow up as well. Once I had the placement and a start date and time I haven't heard anything from him and I need to know about time sheets, when I'm getting paid, if there's any follow up procedures, etc.

@zenno: I filled out the garda vetting forms in both tus and today. It won't delay you in getting a placement but there'll be problems if anything comes back on it. The one I filled out today was crazy, had to give every address I've had since birth including the 6/7 I had when backpacking

zenno · 08-05-2013 02:21AM

smiley_face400 wrote: »

Government departments "clearly say" a lot of things that they don't adhere to. Today wasn't so bad, explained that I thought this was a reception position and that I just don't have the patience to work with children. She's said that they only need to know if they're over booked in any way and need assistance but that the main job is reception/admin. Think it was just a case of crossed wires with Tus not giving me the whole story when unesco thought they had.

You really have to hound these Tus people to follow up as well. Once I had the placement and a start date and time I haven't heard anything from him and I need to know about time sheets, when I'm getting paid, if there's any follow up procedures, etc.

@zenno: I filled out the garda vetting forms in both tus and today. It won't delay you in getting a placement but there'll be problems if anything comes back on it. The one I filled out today was crazy, had to give every address I've had since birth including the 6/7 I had when backpacking

I got that one first, the one that needed every single address i lived at but i do have previous convictions but they are minor offences like drunk and disorderly way back so i don't know if they will have any effect on this as the TUS guy said i might hear from them in two weeks or it could be 2 months and that was march i went for the first TUS interview. Will just have to wait and see i suppose.

I wonder why you had to do the garda vetting twice, seems strange because i thought you only needed to sign it once.

tusworker · 09-05-2013 11:50AM

Just finished a Tus placement last Friday after a successful 12 mths in a community development job. Well, successful in terms of me doing well above and beyond what was expected of me and repeatedly being told (in centre where I worked) that they'd give me a job if they had the funding (which of course they don't). Anyway, went into the social welfare office on the last day to sign, with my form already filled in that the Tus supervisor had given me and a letter stating that I had completed the job satisfactorily etc etc. The woman took the forms checked them over, asked me to sign a form and said, ok that's it! I said, "What happens now"? She said an officer would review it and I would be notified of their decision, as if it was by no means certain I would be accepted back on jobseekers allowance. I asked when this would happen, but she just said it shouldn't be too long and added I had been paid up to the current week anyway. I asked what happens next week? and all she kept saying was someone would contact me.
This Tuesday I went into the local community welfare officer as basically I have about 100e to my name. She listened to the story and said my case should be straightforward and she shouldn't need to get involved. I said there seemed to be nothing straightforward about it to me and she rang the welfare office while I was there. I gathered from her reaction that my claim hadn't been looked at yet and also found out that the person that my case was assigned to is off on a week's holiday. The CW officer asked if someone else would look at my claim in the meantime as I needed it sorted asap and was told that it would be done. The CW officer told me that she would follow it up and be in touch with me later this week. I have yet to hear anything from either the Social Welfare or the CW officer and will call into the SW office later today and chase it up.

It's a bloody disgrace the way they treat people. I'm over 40 and only been unemployed once in my life, unfortunately the period before going onto the Tus program. Before that I had worked continuously for over 20 years. I really enjoyed my Tus placement and often worked over the 19.5 hours, although I certainly got no extra for it. I was led to believe there was a job for me at the end of the placement, only to be told shortly beforehand that they hadn't the funding.
These schemes exist purely to take people off the live register. Despite the fact you're effectively working for benefits and paying prsi, you're still treated like dirt by the social when your time is up through no fault of your own as there's no extensions possible with the Tus. Basically, once your time is up you're back to square one. Thing is, if you refuse to go onto the scheme you'll be penalised as well, so it seems you can't win.
Thing too that gets me about the SW offices is that they arse about processing claims and take weeks to do what should be done in 5 minutes, yet feel justified in doing so by telling you that once your claim is awarded you'll be back-dated anyway. HTF are you supposed to live in the meantime while you're waiting?
I will update this later and as I go along.

Backstreet Moyes · 09-05-2013 11:55AM

tusworker wrote: »

Just finished a Tus placement last Friday after a successful 12 mths in a community development job. Well, successful in terms of me doing well above and beyond what was expected of me and repeatedly being told (in centre where I worked) that they'd give me a job if they had the funding (which of course they don't). Anyway, went into the social welfare office on the last day to sign, with my form already filled in that the Tus supervisor had given me and a letter stating that I had completed the job satisfactorily etc etc. The woman took the forms checked them over, asked me to sign a form and said, ok that's it! I said, "What happens now"? She said an officer would review it and I would be notified of their decision, as if it was by no means certain I would be accepted back on jobseekers allowance. I asked when this would happen, but she just said it shouldn't be too long and added I had been paid up to the current week anyway. I asked what happens next week? and all she kept saying was someone would contact me.
This Tuesday I went into the local community welfare officer as basically I have about 100e to my name. She listened to the story and said my case should be straightforward and she shouldn't need to get involved. I said there seemed to be nothing straightforward about it to me and she rang the welfare office while I was there. I gathered from her reaction that my claim hadn't been looked at yet and also found out that the person that my case was assigned to is off on a week's holiday. The CW officer asked if someone else would look at my claim in the meantime as I needed it sorted asap and was told that it would be done. The CW officer told me that she would follow it up and be in touch with me later this week. I have yet to hear anything from either the Social Welfare or the CW officer and will call into the SW office later today and chase it up.

It's a bloody disgrace the way they treat people. I'm over 40 and only been unemployed once in my life, unfortunately the period before going onto the Tus program. Before that I had worked continuously for over 20 years. I really enjoyed my Tus placement and often worked over the 19.5 hours, although I certainly got no extra for it. I was led to believe there was a job for me at the end of the placement, only to be told shortly beforehand that they hadn't the funding.
These schemes exist purely to take people off the live register. Despite the fact you're effectively working for benefits and paying prsi, you're still treated like dirt by the social when your time is up through no fault of your own as there's no extensions possible with the Tus. Basically, once your time is up you're back to square one. Thing is, if you refuse to go onto the scheme you'll be penalised as well, so it seems you can't win.
Thing too that gets me about the SW offices is that they arse about processing claims and take weeks to do what should be done in 5 minutes, yet feel justified in doing so by telling you that once your claim is awarded you'll be back-dated anyway. HTF are you supposed to live in the meantime while you're waiting?
I will update this later and as I go along.

Fairly sure if you go to the health board they will fast track your payment. When i finished up i had very little money and explained it and they pushed through my payment.

tusworker · 09-05-2013 12:02PM

Unsure what you mean by the health board? Who exactly?

Backstreet Moyes · 09-05-2013 12:48PM

tusworker wrote: »

Unsure what you mean by the health board? Who exactly?

The HSE.

Karen23 · 09-05-2013 07:38PM

Surely it would be the Department of Social Protection ( Social Welfare) and not the HSE who would be dealing with this?

zenno · 09-05-2013 11:31PM

I had a problem receiving my dole a while back and i went to the health service centre in my local area and they gave me money there and then but it was deducted from the dole when i received it.

Just go to your local health service centre and discuss the problem with them and they will help you out.

If you are not sure where your local health service centre is then go to the citizens advice centre and tell them your problem and they will give you all the information you need. Good luck.

smiley_face400 · 10-05-2013 10:07AM

Argh!! Emergency tax. Why can't Tus sort it out so this doesn't happen instead of having to sort it out ourselves!! It's only 9.60 in my case but it's a pain in the hole

Last time I claimed emergency tax back I filled out a form that I had to hand in with my P45. Is it the same procedure with tus employment or is there something else I have to do? I haven't worked in Ireland for over 3 years as I was abroad until last June so I don't even know if I have a P45 from my last Irish job

Miseryguts · 10-05-2013 05:13PM

I've just came of Tus placement and went to receive my first JS payment this week to be handed a tidy little sum of €60 to cover me after giving free labour for an entire year it's just so annoying,really is a load of bull.

Backstreet Moyes · 13-05-2013 12:25PM

FAS have an interview set up for me this week. Seems i am on their radar now also feel i can't turn it down because of leaving a TUS placement.

Don't really want to start a new thread as i think i read a few people in here say they were on a CE scheme. Can anybody tell me if you wear a suit for the interview i stained my shirt and will have to buy a new one. As far as i am aware these schemes are 40 hours a week. Seems it's work experience i think it's too long but if i enjoy the work it would be alright. The job is in marketing so i presume wouldn't be too bad.

The only thing worrying me is the job advertisement has been on the FAS website for months. So either people have started and quit or nobody seems to like the job.

Backstreet Moyes · 13-05-2013 12:27PM

smiley_face400 wrote: »

So starting in Unesco on Tuesday. Was speaking with the woman who interviewed me today about start times/hours/whatnot. Turns out I've been completely mis-sold this position. She was asking me about what age groups I'd be comfortable working with when what I signed up and interviewed for was reception/admin not bloody youth work. I told them in tus that under no circumstances would I work with children cos I'm just not a kiddy person. Bollox to that if they make me try to work with kids. Told her as much and ready to bite the heads off arseholes in Tus as well as going straight to a journalist friend of mine if they don't sort me out with what I asked for instead of what they lied to me about. If they're forcing us into taking a placement then I'm going to make it work for me rather than arseing about for a year with something not relevant to my skills and then ending up back on the dole.

The thing about these schemes is they are offering people jobs where you think you would need to study in. Surely healthcare and working with kids you need some sort of degree. I was surprised when they asked me if i was comfortable helping the elderly.

rsole1 · 13-05-2013 03:24PM

Nuts102 wrote: »

FAS have an interview set up for me this week. Seems i am on their radar now also feel i can't turn it down because of leaving a TUS placement.

Don't really want to start a new thread as i think i read a few people in here say they were on a CE scheme. Can anybody tell me if you wear a suit for the interview i stained my shirt and will have to buy a new one. As far as i am aware these schemes are 40 hours a week. Seems it's work experience i think it's too long but if i enjoy the work it would be alright. The job is in marketing so i presume wouldn't be too bad.

The only thing worrying me is the job advertisement has been on the FAS website for months. So either people have started and quit or nobody seems to like the job.

What's the name of the FAS Scheme where you'll be marketing something?

Backstreet Moyes · 13-05-2013 04:29PM

rsole1 wrote: »

What's the name of the FAS Scheme where you'll be marketing something?

It's called a CE scheme.

TUS Programme

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