Unemployment

[Macy]

Besides, welfare payments are supposed to be spent on non-taxed or low-taxed essentials.

I don't buy the argument about getting it back, but i think it's VAT that's not supposed to be on essentials is where the issue is.

Queues in the Welfare offices are now 30-40 minutes long, and all you have to do is produce your id card/passport and sign the form. Next up is the sight outside hundreds of PO's around Ireland of people standing in the rain, further punished because of a few fraudsters around.

But they're not being made sign on every week - that isn't changing, they're being made collect their money every week. I doubt too many Post Offices are that busy that they can't handle the extra. Infact it could save a valuable community resource in many areas! We get childrens allowance, and I'd have no problem having to collect it every month - yes it's handier paid directly into the account, but it would only be a few minutes a month to collect it.

My main issue with this proposal was that it was FF that introduced the direct into the bank account as a great efficiency in the first place, and now their trying to say their great for clamping down on the fraud that it enabled.

[GavinZac]

Probably a good excuse to keep some POs open as people have been clamouring for.

[pete]

I seem to remember someone from the Gov admitting a couple of years ago, that because the money from Welfare payments tended to be spent locally, the country doesn't lose out, because we of course get it back on VAT anyway. If this is the case then the rise in fraudstars who live abroad must have prompted them to change the system.

If someone in government said this hopefully they still not there. Fraud is ok as long as not foreigners?

Free money for everyone as long as they live in the country?

IMO there should be no fraud as that is what the Department are there for. If they can't police a simple system no need for the staff.

[Macy]

IMO there should be no fraud as that is what the Department are there for. If they can't police a simple system no need for the staff.

It's the ministers that have the power to implement and make decisions, such as beefing up the investigation unit with staff and power. Can hardly blame the staff at the bottom. There's a reason all politicians like Yes Minister - not because it's true, it's because people think it's true and it lets them off the hook.

[John83]

So we get back 20% of 10%? Besides, welfare payments are supposed to be spent on non-taxed or low-taxed essentials.

Food and rent are taxed last time I checked.

[GavinZac]

Food and rent are taxed last time I checked.

But they don't pay for rent out of dole money. They pay for rent out of rent allowance...

[John83]

But they don't pay for rent out of dole money. They pay for rent out of rent allowance...

I'm unfamiliar with the subdivisions of welfare payments, but regardless, I think most of the things you'd spend the dole on are taxed. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[monutdfc]

and they pay the rent allowances to landlords who have a raft of Section 23 properties so the landlord isn't paying income tax on this rental income!

[KianD]

Food and rent are taxed last time I checked.

Food essentials are zero rated.

[John83]

Food essentials are zero rated.

I was just looking up those rates. I'm surprised actually. I thought the VAT rates were much less detailed than they are.

[pete]

Food essentials are zero rated.

However if you are fraudulently getting the dole you already have another unofficial untaxed revenue source so you probably spending the dole money on caviar & champagne which have taxes. As long as the state gets some of it back thats the important thing though...

[mypost]

you already have another unofficial untaxed revenue source so you probably spending the dole money on caviar & champagne

More along the lines of spending it on Cola (Tesco).

[GavinZac]

More along the lines of spending it on Cola (Tesco).

Defending dole fraudsters now?

[pete]

Latest figures out

The rise in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits over the last year has increased at the fastest rate since records began over 40 years ago.

In July, 10,600 people joined the Live Register bringing the seasonally adjusted total signing on to 226,000, on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office this morning.

Last month’s increase lifted the standardised unemployment rate to 5.9 per cent, the CSO said.

Over the last 12 months the number of people seeking unemployment benefits has risen by over a third with 63,647 people joining the register.

In July 6,700 males and 3,800 females joined the register.

Is there a seasonal reason why so many more women joining the live register?

[Dodge]

Is there a seasonal reason why so many more women joining the live register?

Loads of women have jobs associated with schools. (Lollipop ladies, teaching assitants etc etc) Mrs Dodge-in-law is a lollipop lady and she signs on during the summer months after she's effectively made redundent after each school term.

[mypost]

You can add another 500 odd to the register in 2 weeks time.

[Reality Bites]

Looking increasingly bleak, I beleve it is now nearly impossible to get a construction related job, Profession or Trade -what a change fro two years ago!

[Aldini98]

Bring on the recession. Best time to be a P&P civil servant.

[Reality Bites]

Bring on the recession. Best time to be a P&P civil servant.

Fatso is back from Hols, everybody knows he should scrap the paytalks but then again everybody also knows he is a gutless biffo pandering to the civil servants, I hate him Lenihan and Bog Woman.

[pete]

Fatso is back from Hols, everybody knows he should scrap the paytalks but then again everybody also knows he is a gutless biffo pandering to the civil servants, I hate him Lenihan and Bog Woman.

I don't see how he can give pay increases at the numbers mentioned by the unions unless they are going to significantly increase borrowing which the government seem to be slow to do so far. Maybe they will save enough with monochrome printing?