The plight of the unemployed.

[Lifeisagame]

I advertised for a small number of unskilled vacancies that we had last week.
The response I got was heart breaking. Over 300 applied varying in skills from unskilled to seriously qualified Professionals, a couple of the Professionals were prepared to work for free and just claim the dole, they just wanted to be active.
It was a heart wrenching experience that left me angry and determined to use every ounce of my ability to keep jobs coming into Ireland. But in heaven's name there Has to be something more to help these people, they are our fellow citizens and there must be many ways that we can create employment and save their sanity.

[Christy Walsh]

I advertised for a small number of unskilled vacancies that we had last week.
The response I got was heart breaking. Over 300 applied varying in skills from unskilled to seriously qualified Professionals, a couple of the Professionals were prepared to work for free and just claim the dole, they just wanted to be active.
It was a heart wrenching experience that left me angry and determined to use every ounce of my ability to keep jobs coming into Ireland. But in heaven's name there Has to be something more to help these people, they are our fellow citizens and there must be many ways that we can create employment and save their sanity.

I agree with your sentiment but the squeeze on the workforce is not over yet. If much is true about high finance and wheeling and dealing then I think effective government is needed to pay a debt to Irish society and not multinational financial institutions.

[Andrew49]

I advertised for a small number of unskilled vacancies that we had last week.
The response I got was heart breaking. Over 300 applied varying in skills from unskilled to seriously qualified Professionals, a couple of the Professionals were prepared to work for free and just claim the dole, they just wanted to be active.
It was a heart wrenching experience that left me angry and determined to use every ounce of my ability to keep jobs coming into Ireland. But in heaven's name there Has to be something more to help these people, they are our fellow citizens and there must be many ways that we can create employment and save their sanity.

I was thinking of community gardens in urban or near urban areas - re-assigning land for agricultural use - where people (unemployed or underemployed) could produce food/flowers etc., people could network this way and source out people with skills - unemployed mechanics for your car or lawnmower ... If nothing else, it would get a person out of the house into a work situation for hours at a time.

[Christy Walsh]

I was thinking of community gardens in urban or near urban areas - re-assigning land for agricultural use - where people (unemployed or underemployed) could produce food/flowers etc., people could network this way and source out people with skills - unemployed mechanics for your car or lawnmower ... If nothing else, it would get a person out of the house into a work situation for hours at a time.
I follow the reasoning here --but think such things are diversionary and just time filling, not solution solving.

[Andrew49]

I follow the reasoning here --but think such things are diversionary and just time filling, not solution solving.

I'd be wary of the unemployed regarding themselves as unemployed 24/7 - it's sure to lead to depression, anxiety and feelings of uselessness.

[Christy Walsh]

I'd be wary of the unemployed regarding themselves as unemployed 24/7 - it's sure to lead to depression, anxiety and feelings of uselessness. I had thought that you had that in mind --for those reasons yeah, and a few people could make a career out of it. Not knocking it for those values.

[C. Flower]

20,000 + people have applied for Social Welfare, been denied, and have appealed. There is a 6 month wait for appeals.

For those whose appeals are valid, what are they living on ?



Fine Gael National Press Office
Press Statement by Michael Ring TD
Social Protection

Thursday 14th October 2010

Scandal of 6 month appeal for 20,446 social welfare claimants - Ring

Some 20,446 claimants who have been denied social welfare now have to wait
an average of six months for their appeal to be heard, Fine Gael Social
Protection Spokesman Michael Ring TD has revealed.

Deputy Ring described this as a ‘scandal and a disgrace’ and said some of
the most vulnerable members of society are being hung out to dry by the
Government. These claims relate to jobseekers’ benefits and other essential
payments.

“This Government’s lack of compassion has been exposed once again. These
claimants have already endured a lengthy wait to have their initial
applications processed, only to be rejected. Now the Government expects
them to wait another six months for a decision.

“There is clear evidence that the State is making it much harder for people
to claim social welfare. They are entitled to have their appeal heard
swiftly and fairly. I fully support measures to clamp down on fraud, and
believe that much more should be done in this regard. But it’s a disgrace
when people in genuine need are denied help from the State.

“It’s about time the Government showed some compassion and a sense of
urgency in this matter. The passports backlog was only addressed through a
concerted effort at Government level. Eamon Ó Cuív should show the same
sort of initiative to resolve this scandal.

“Ireland is suffering the worst recession in living memory, and State
support represents the last line of defence for most of these claimants. If
the Government refuses to tackle this matter, then it should get out of
office and let in a Fine Gael Government to sort this mess out.”

[Andrew49]

20,000 + people have applied for Social Welfare, been denied, and have appealed. There is a 6 month wait for appeals.

For those whose appeals are valid, what are they living on ?

Most will then apply to the HSE community welfare officer. It means a lot of form filling and questions about means and savings, how you became unemployed etc., Supplementary Welfare Allowance provides a basic weekly allowance to eligible people who have little or no income. People with low incomes may also qualify for a weekly supplement payment under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme to meet certain special needs, for example, help with rent/mortgage interest payments or for urgent or exceptional needs.

But if you're under 25 I think you're given a ticket out of the country or €100 a week!

[Ah Well]

Most will then apply to the HSE community welfare officer. It means a lot of form filling and questions about means and savings, how you became unemployed etc., Supplementary Welfare Allowance provides a basic weekly allowance to eligible people who have little or no income. People with low incomes may also qualify for a weekly supplement payment under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme to meet certain special needs, for example, help with rent/mortgage interest payments or for urgent or exceptional needs.

But if you're under 25 I think you're given a ticket out of the country or €100 a week!

The Community Welfare Officer of course being the source of call for self employed, who would likely be told to feck off if they presented at the local Soc Welfare Office. One big difference being - payments procured from the HSE are discretionary, dole being guaranteed once one gets on the list

How about the fella who never worked a day in his life (nor intended to) getting the dole and meanwhile self employed who paid tax for years not being entitled to dole as a right - disgraceful system

[skearon]

How about the fella who never worked a day in his life (nor intended to) getting the dole and meanwhile self employed who paid tax for years not being entitled to dole as a right - disgraceful system

Totally agree with reforming our welfare system, hopefully the new universal social contribution will afford self employed people the same protection as employees

Also it's time to break the link between JB and JA, JB should be based on a percentage of your salary and JA should decrease the longer an able bodied person stays on it