There's a lot of tales of woe out there at the moment - I've extracted the following examples from comments on Independent.ie
http://www.independent.ie/national-...in-child-benefit-revealed-online-2941229.html
Medical card for dentists reduced to covering just 2 fillings and extractions only. It costs €120 for a filling at my dentist. That's two thirds the weekly rate of someone receiving €188 a week.”
Try to pay for food, ESB, phone, tax and insurance, maintenance and NCT, petrol, clothes, heating. Now to top it all off I have to pay a tax for owning my home, a charge for having a septic tank and also water charges. How far would you get on €188 per week?
“Myself and my fiance have two kids together. We've had our heating turned off because of inflation. I paid over €1,200 January last, didn’t use it all summer and they sent us a bill of €1,400. We’re were on social welfare at the moment.
“I didn’t have dinner with my child today, I had a few plain crackers. There wasn’t enough for both of us to eat. Didn’t put cheese on them as I had to make sure there would be some for his lunch tomorrow.
“Dinner tomorrow....well I will see what I can rustle up...there's one egg left......potato pancakes and a fried egg for him tomorrow.....me.....I think there are some crackers left!
After the initial pity, it has left me wondering if we are doing enough to educate people on how to live on little. It is a skill many people appear to have lost since the 80s..
Based on the above comments:
How can someone in dire straits not see that €120 for a filling is 50% too high?
How does someone get a €1400 heating bill over the summer?
How does someone with an internet connection justify feeding their child dry crackers for dinner?
Will someone on the dole not assume or realise they are likely to be exempt from property tax?
http://www.independent.ie/national-...in-child-benefit-revealed-online-2941229.html
Medical card for dentists reduced to covering just 2 fillings and extractions only. It costs €120 for a filling at my dentist. That's two thirds the weekly rate of someone receiving €188 a week.”
Try to pay for food, ESB, phone, tax and insurance, maintenance and NCT, petrol, clothes, heating. Now to top it all off I have to pay a tax for owning my home, a charge for having a septic tank and also water charges. How far would you get on €188 per week?
“Myself and my fiance have two kids together. We've had our heating turned off because of inflation. I paid over €1,200 January last, didn’t use it all summer and they sent us a bill of €1,400. We’re were on social welfare at the moment.
“I didn’t have dinner with my child today, I had a few plain crackers. There wasn’t enough for both of us to eat. Didn’t put cheese on them as I had to make sure there would be some for his lunch tomorrow.
“Dinner tomorrow....well I will see what I can rustle up...there's one egg left......potato pancakes and a fried egg for him tomorrow.....me.....I think there are some crackers left!
After the initial pity, it has left me wondering if we are doing enough to educate people on how to live on little. It is a skill many people appear to have lost since the 80s..
Based on the above comments:
How can someone in dire straits not see that €120 for a filling is 50% too high?
How does someone get a €1400 heating bill over the summer?
How does someone with an internet connection justify feeding their child dry crackers for dinner?
Will someone on the dole not assume or realise they are likely to be exempt from property tax?