Dole

[Liam]

Spoke to a friend's wife last night about unemployment in the UK and it seems to be as bad if not worse than here. She works in a Jobs+ centre and says they are dealing with a 185% increase in clients in their office (Derby). I didn't realise dole payments were so different , over here it is the equivalent of about 180sterling (204euro) compared to 60sterling in the UK, we don't have a different rate for under 25's either. Have to say,though, that the cost of living here is WAY more than in England, even in relation to running a car. Our motor tax on a passenger Terrano is about 850euro compared to about 185sterling (200euro), unless you are driving a commercial Terrano, then it is just 288euro. I wonder how long it will be before dole payments in both countries are matched? And I bet when it happens it will be our payments being cut to match yours and not the other way round.

[Deleted account DD]

Its hitting everyone in every way.We were planning and had actually saved the dosh to take the caravan over to France for three weeks in June.

Now we only get 1.08 euro to the £ its just not viable to pay god knows what to cross the water then almost equal exchange rate (pre commision) to go somewhere where the costs were much on a parr anyway.

Someone who has just been was telling me you can get the same wine as he bought a couple of bottles of out there cheaper back here in Tesco's.

I hope thats not going to be the rule

Not devaluing the unemployment point or anything but for people around my age it does seem that everything we've had as almost benchmarks for the past 30 years or so are diaapearing

[lacroupade]

I remember years ago when the Irish government tried a scheme to put dole claimants to work on the roads and suchlike - lasted five minutes after the uproar LOL.

Trouble is the country has had such an economic boom over the last 20 years, but with companies like Dell talking about relocation your prediction is likely to come true..but then while we're working, its us thats paying for it I suppose....

[Liam]

I suppose a cynic might think that employers are using the recession to drive wages back to where they were 15 years ago. Sorry to hear your holiday is gone down the tubes, I think that will be the case for a lot of people, unless staying local. Certainly wouldn't be a good move to go abroad with that poor an exchange rate. Regarding getting the unemployed to do council work etc, they will probably try again soon. There seems to be a few clever people up Northern Ireland way who are claiming dual benefit, getting UK dole then popping aacross the border for some Irish dole, only wish I lived closer to Northern Ireland so I could do that. I knew a guy from Dublin back in the eighties who did the same only he travelled to the UK on the cheap (£5) ferry crossings. Cheeky bugger even had his glass eye replaced on the NHS as it would have taken years to get a new one in Ireland. And he did a nice little smuggling line in Sony Walkmans as they were a lot cheaper in the UK at the time.

[lacroupade]

11 out of 10 for effort then! LOL