Monday, December 12, 2005
Better off on the dole!
Call me crazy but I've always believed that the State should encourage people to find employment and contribute to society and the economy. In my opinion the best way of doing this is to ensure that persons on minimum wage are better off, financially, than those on the dole. I was dismayed to read in the Independent (account needed)today that thousands of low paid workers could be encouraged back into dole queues due to increases in welfare announced last week by Brian Cowen in the budget.
According to the Independent a married man with children could be €7,300 per annum better off on the dole if he also qualifies for rent supplement. Families relying on rent supplement would need to have an income of €30,000, or the average industrial wage, just to equal what they would receive by staying on welfare. I believe the state should do it's best to help those without employment, but give me a break.
The Government are trying to tackle this issue by introducing a 'Rental Accommodation Scheme' that will allow a person to take a low income job and still pay only a potion of their rent. However to allow such a gap to develop, in the first place, between those on welfare and those working is extraordinary.
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4 comments:
A much better tactic would be to have the Government order broadcasters to put 24 hour marathons of Coronation Street and Eastenders on during election day, this would keep the people on the dole from leaving their houses and voting so that the government could implement policies for those of us actually contributing to the economy of the State.
the problam is really house prices and rental prices. the average rent for a house in dublin is beyond the means of minimum waged people.
Thanks for the common-sense opinion Tuathal! Always appreciated.
Saint does have a point about the cost of rent in the city, and this obviously distorts the averages across the state.
Still, i think the welfare system in this country lost sight of its objectives, namely getting people back to work, a long time ago.
We are blessed with a political class who lack the imagination to get things going, while maintaining support for those in the most marginal of positions.
This will have a big impact on social spending etc if we begin to experience a recession or worse lose jobs overseas.
RR
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