MY BUDGET JOB SEEKERS:One sector of society directly affected by the welfare cuts is unemployed people aged under 25, after the Minister for Finance announced cuts in jobseeker's allowance for under-24s.
Stephen Quinn (19) and Graham Cooper (18), both from Swords, Co Dublin, finished school in June 2008 and are still looking for work.
“I had a job working as a steel-fitter when I left school, but that finished after two months,” says Graham. “Since then I’ve been on social welfare. There’s just nothing out there, with the slowdown in the building trade and everything.”
Graham was receiving €208 a week on jobseeker’s allowance. In early November he started a five-week Fás course, for which he received €230 a week including expenses. He was shocked to discover on going to his local social welfare office on Tuesday that he won’t receive his next payment until mid-January, despite having completed the Fás course.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do, coming up to Christmas. On top of this I learn that the jobseeker’s allowance is going to be cut. I just can’t see how I’m going to get a job with the way things are.”
Stephen is also doing a training course, run by Youth Work Ireland. His jobseeker’s allowance is means-tested, and he receives €108 per week. He is worried about the impact of further cuts, even though he lives at home. “My parents’ rates are also being cut, so it’s affecting the whole house.”
Stephen says his main expense is travel, as he travels to Louth once a week for his course. “Hopefully things will pick up. It’s just very disappointing.”