brodiebabe
Registered User
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I overheard it on the bus, so must be
Yes we've all heard the stories......but obviously we don't believe everything we hear!!!
However, some people DO believe everything they hear and then they spread what they hear as fact......and Voila an urban myth is born! Case in point is below.....
The OP is saying this is something he was told by a friend who sold the car, not that it's something he over heard in a pub or on a bus. Reality is that these is an ongoing scam or number of scams where cars are being bought using counterfiet cheques/drafts, it's perfectly reasonable to believe that counterfeit SW cheques are in existance
Re: taxi from Social Welfare
Seems like a cop out from Social Welfare. Surely they could issue vouchers for furniture, or insist on seeing receipts to prove the money was used for the correct purpose. It is taxpayers money after all and they've no right to take such a cavalier attitude towards ensuring its spent properly.
Seems like a cop out from Social Welfare. Surely they could issue vouchers for furniture, or insist on seeing receipts to prove the money was used for the correct purpose. It is taxpayers money after all and they've no right to take such a cavalier attitude towards ensuring its spent properly.
samanthajane
Registered User
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- 766
Re: taxi from Social Welfare
I've heard that what happens if you have to show them that you have put a desopit on an item and then show what the balance is and then this is paid. Unless the SW cheque is issue to the shop which i've never heard of this being done they recieve the cheques never go back to the shop to actually buy the item, all they lose is a €10/€20 deposit but they gain from getting the cheque. Again a story i wouldn't know if this is true or not.
I've heard that what happens if you have to show them that you have put a desopit on an item and then show what the balance is and then this is paid. Unless the SW cheque is issue to the shop which i've never heard of this being done they recieve the cheques never go back to the shop to actually buy the item, all they lose is a €10/€20 deposit but they gain from getting the cheque. Again a story i wouldn't know if this is true or not.
speirbhean
Registered User
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- 154
Sure you can't walk down the street in Dublin without tripping over abandoned brand new buggies. The immigrant women leave them at the bus stop when the bus is full saying 'sure the social will buy me a new one tomorrow'.
Myth, myth, myth. Doesn't help anyone to be spreading them either.
Myth, myth, myth. Doesn't help anyone to be spreading them either.
Re allowances for furniture. Each case is dealt with on its merits, cases considered would generally be persons on SW who are allocated a council house and who may not have the means or the family support to furnish the home themselves. Deposits are generally required, and cheques are made out to the trader in many cases. Sometimes, an agreed lump sum is given to allow the person to get as many household items they can without requiring a deposit on specific goods.
If the claimant (having been assessed as in need of the items) decides to spend the money on a car, clothes, a holiday.....etc etc, that is their decision and not one that HSE/SW can follow up. However they will not be considered for help towards that item/those items again.
Regarding children's buggies, the same situation applies. Each case is dealt with on its own merits, generally consideration would be given to a buggy for the first child and, if a second child arrived within a short space of time, to purchase of a double buggy. Any assistance after that is entirely based on the individual merits of the case and there is no specific "entitlement". I'm not aware of "suing the HSE because the buggy broke". The HSE used to issue cots (in Dublin anyway) but had to stop becuase the HSE would have been liable in the case of an accident. Furniture used to be provided too (rather than money towards it), didn't stop those who really wanted the cash selling the items - no different than giving a cheque.
Gas and Electric bills are not paid. There may be consideration given towards a bill if something unexpected and unforeseen has occurred which caused the bill to be higher than normal (e.g. illness in the home which required additional heating) or something which meant that the person couldn't meet the bill from their own resources (e.g. bereavement, so money towards the bill was used for other expenditure).
If the claimant (having been assessed as in need of the items) decides to spend the money on a car, clothes, a holiday.....etc etc, that is their decision and not one that HSE/SW can follow up. However they will not be considered for help towards that item/those items again.
Regarding children's buggies, the same situation applies. Each case is dealt with on its own merits, generally consideration would be given to a buggy for the first child and, if a second child arrived within a short space of time, to purchase of a double buggy. Any assistance after that is entirely based on the individual merits of the case and there is no specific "entitlement". I'm not aware of "suing the HSE because the buggy broke". The HSE used to issue cots (in Dublin anyway) but had to stop becuase the HSE would have been liable in the case of an accident. Furniture used to be provided too (rather than money towards it), didn't stop those who really wanted the cash selling the items - no different than giving a cheque.
Gas and Electric bills are not paid. There may be consideration given towards a bill if something unexpected and unforeseen has occurred which caused the bill to be higher than normal (e.g. illness in the home which required additional heating) or something which meant that the person couldn't meet the bill from their own resources (e.g. bereavement, so money towards the bill was used for other expenditure).
If the system has loopholes which allows people to to this, then there is definitely an issue with the system and it needs to be overhauled. If it comes to light they spent the money on something else, then it should be clawed back by SW, same as if the rest of us underpay tax, it is owed back to the Revenue.
I dont want my taxes going to pay for anybody's holiday or car, no matter what the circumstances.
On the other hand, you will find that there are same old "Abbey Actors" with brass necks who put their hands out for everything and as usual, sometimes the real people in need who have nothing left except their pride will not ask.
I absolutely agree 100%. How can Social Welfare claim that they can't do anything about it? This is fraud and it should be followed up on. What they seem to mean is that they 'can't be bothered' to do anything. It is surely not that difficult to put in place a system which ensures the money can only be used to buy furniture. If a deposit has been paid, then make the cheque out to the shop or pay the shop directly. Its not rocket science.
the social welfare have a scheme at the minute to take people off the dole and it was mainly targeted at immigrants.
You agree not to sign on again (not sure if there's some legal sign off around this) and in year 1, you get 100% of the dole while you work as a taxi driver. Year 2, 75% of dole, Yr3 = 50% of dole and so on.
I cannot comment on whether they got contributions towards cars and plates as did'nt ask that question, but the above is fact and comes from a mate who works in a city centre dole office in Dublin. Some Irish took up the scheme but mostly former asylum seekers joined
You agree not to sign on again (not sure if there's some legal sign off around this) and in year 1, you get 100% of the dole while you work as a taxi driver. Year 2, 75% of dole, Yr3 = 50% of dole and so on.
I cannot comment on whether they got contributions towards cars and plates as did'nt ask that question, but the above is fact and comes from a mate who works in a city centre dole office in Dublin. Some Irish took up the scheme but mostly former asylum seekers joined
Complainer
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Maybe you could ask your mate to point you towards some documentation about this scheme on the Dept website or elsewhere?
So even if you're making an okay living by driving a taxi, you still get the dole?
From the percentages quoted, this sounds like the Back to Work scheme - which has been in place for several years, and has been available to everyone who met the qualifying criteria.
There were two schemes, one for employees (now closed for new applicants) and another for persons commencing self-employment (still active).