Archive for the 'red tape' Category

Abolish Jobseekers Benefit (Jobseekers Allowance is much better)

Published March 26th, 2010 in reform, PRSI contributions, bureaucracy, unemployment and red tape. 0 Comments

Abolish Jobseekers Benefit (Jobseekers Allowance is much better); No I am not suggesting abolishing the dole, just changing its internal workings, and removing a streaming which is bad news for claimants.

In Ireland, you see, there are two forms of what is commonly called the “Dole”.

  • Jobseekers Benefit - which is based on a persons past employment contributions
  • Jobseekers Allowance - which anyone can get if they can pass a means test showing they need money today 

The idea, is that a person who becomes unemployed starts off on Jobseekers Benefit which is somehow morally superior - because they are not leeching, they are using up their own contributions. I like the idea because it makes the claimant feel less guilty, they feel they are only claiming back what they are entitled to.

However, once we set emotions aside I contend that Jobseekers Benefit is actually a bad deal for the claimant. It should be abolished and everyone should instead go on Jobseekers Allowance. So lets switch the order around, we will start our comparison with Jobseekers Allowance (which has many advantages), and finished with Jobseekers Benefit (which lacks those advantages)

Jobseekers Benefit, is like the medical card, it is a key to many other services, that are not openly advertised.
(The Medical Card allows discounted Freedom of Information requests FFS!)

Why is Jobseekers Allowance Better?

  • Jobseekers Allowance has no end date,
    whereas
    Jobseekers Benefit ends in 9 months, or 12 depending on an individuals contributions
  • Jobseekers Allowance is not taxable by the Revenue Commissioners,
    whereas
    Jobseekers Benefit is taxable.
    However it is possible to avoid taxation on Jobseekers Benefit if “you are participating in a short-time working arrangement”. That’s according to Revenue Leaflet Taxation of Jobseekers Benefit - IT24. Short-time employment means employment in which the employees have been transferred from a normal working week (which is not defined, but we will assume to mean  a5 days week) to a short-time working arrangement each week (e.g. 3 days on / 2 days off) or within a period of four consecutive weeks (e.g. 1 week on / 1 week off; 2 weeks on / 2 weeks off; 3 weeks on / 1 week off).

    The mechanics of how one goes about enjoying this tax exemption are not explained, and this brings us to a huge problem in the Irish welfare system; Social Welfare and Taxation are handled by two seperate government organs, The Department of Social & Family Affairs and the Revenue Commissioners.

    Lets take a side bar here and look at an inefficiency;
    When a claimant fills in a Tax Return the Revenue only ask for the name of his Social Welfare payment (Jobseekers Benefit), and the amount he received in the tax year. The Department of Social Welfare’s weekly “pay slips” for want of a better term do not include a running total, so in order to find out how much he received in a year the claimant must add up the totals of all his payments! It is possible to request a statement from the Department of Social Welfare, but that’s a secret that only accountants know about, oops. Plus it wastes tax payers money on postage. In the real world the likelihood is that a claimant just won’t submit a Revenue return Form 12, but if he did would he really add up all his “pay slips” would he have kept them all? I don’t think so. So the real way of avoiding paying tax on Jobseekers Benefit it to keep a low profile by not submitting a tax return.

    However, since 2006 the computer systems of the Department of Social Welfare and the Revenue Commissioner have been linked. Alas the linkage conveniently doesn’t extend to the Department of Social Welfare informing a the Revenue Commissioners that a claimant’s Jobseekers Benefit was But getting back the the point of how to avoid paying tax on Jobseekers Benefit

    Since 2006 their two computer systems have been linked in some fashion.But in order to enjoy the exemption for “a short-time working arrangement” a claimant will have to get something called a “Certificate of taxable benefit” from the Department of Social Welfare. Note how this certificate is not mentioned at all in the Revenue Leaflet Taxation of Jobseekers Benefit - IT24. Who wrote that leaflet? Are they still employed? Can we blame them? They were writing a Leaflet for the Revenue, they cannot comment on the internal workings on another Department, there are lines of demarcation here you know.

    and speaking of different Departments brings us nicely to FA, a completely separate government organ….

  • Jobseekers Allowance; opens up many FAS jobs. Many are limited to persons who have been on Jobseekers Allowance for x months. I have seen numerous Clerical/Office jobs that sounded interesting, but I have been unable to apply for. I contacted my local TD’s one of whom asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs in the Dail, but here answer was a copy and paste vague answer to the effect that the Department offers a range of schemes, and didn’t address the actual question.
    whereas
    Jobseekers Benefit; is of little use with FAS.

Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

    National Property Services Regulatory Authority

    Published February 14th, 2009 in auctioneers, shane ross is a great man, auctioneering, regulation, private security authority model, too many categories, quango watch and red tape. 1 Comment

    The National Property Services Regulatory Authority (NPSRA), what a long name, six words, where two or three would suffice.

    1. National - a redundant word
    2. Property- ok
    3. Services - a reduncant word
    4. Regulatory - I could go either way on this word
    5. Authority - ok, the current preferred suffix of QUANGOs

    How about The Property Authority? The Property Services Authority? alas no those would be too similar to the The Property Registration Authority which became the umbrella name for The Land Registry and Registry of Deeds.

    ok then, if I might continue thinking outloud, how about The Property Services Regulatory Authority? That is in essence what its already called, but at least we removed the redundant word National as it added nothing to the story, viz one would hardly imagine that without it there could be confusion as to whether of not the Authority had any powers beyond the Pale. Perhaps the word was included to make a witty acronym, NPSRA, em no that means nothing. Indeed within Ireland the word National can be sensitive. Some could assume the Authority included the counties of Northern Ireland in its remit. Even the suffix “of Ireland” or the prefix “The Irish” are questionable in names for this same reason.

    So scrap that name entirely. I belive that Auctioneer should appear in the name, because that is word that the man on the street, and the existing Acts relating to the profession use. How about the Auctioneers Authority or Auctioneers Regulatory Authority. The Authority does after all seek to regulate licensed Auctioneers why be so vague and use the words Property Services, I hate the word Service it sounds like it was lifted from a Business textbook.

    Now that we have settled on a name, Auctioneers Regulatory Authority, or ARA, which sounds like the Irish word Aire meaning place?, which is a nice bonus.

    Where does the Private Residential Tenencies Board (PRTB) fit into the picture? Well renting is a Property Service is it not, so perhaps the PRTB could be merged or “streamlined” into the Auctioneers Regulatory Authority at some stage. Perhaps when Fine Gael and I presume Labour - going on current opinion polls - enter a coalition later this year that will happen.

    Naming issues aside Auctioneers and QUANGO watchers can rest easy for some years, as the Authority will nothave any powers until it’s enabling act is passed and that has been on the long finger for some years already.

    If and when the Bill does become an Act will existing Auctioneers be grandfathered in?

    S.I. No. 49 of 2007

    Published January 31st, 2008 in yes minister, red tape, over regulation and ambrand. 1 Comment

    Dear Reader. I refer to STATUTORY INSTRUMENT No. 49 of 2007 also known as EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (COMPANIES) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2007. You have probably never heard of this regulation, but if you are the webmaster of a  companies website in Ireland then you need to keep reading.

    Section (2) of the Regulation says

    “Where a company has a website, it shall display in a prominent and
    easily accessible place on that website…

    (a) the name and legal form of the company;
    (b) the place of registration of the company and the number with
    which it is registered;
    (c) the address of the registered office of the company;
    (d) in the case of a company exempt from the obligation to use the
    word ‘limited’ or ‘teoranta’ as part of its name, the fact that it is
    a limited company;
    (e) in the case of a company that is being wound up, the fact that it
    is being wound up;
    (f) if reference is made in the letter or order form to the share capital
    of the company, the reference shall be to the capital that is subscribed
    and paid up.”

    The requirement to provide such info on letters and invoices and so on has existed for some time, this regulation just includes websites.

    Naturally the act is vague, but I interpret it as meaning the bare minimum that is acceptable is to have one page that includes the following text in a small print font size. I typically use the “contact” page

    Example Company Ltd. Registered in Dublin, Ireland? (ie. the location of the CRO flagship office) Company number 12345. Registered address 1 Mainstreet, Nonsuchtown, Co Cork

    For the avoidance of doubt the regulations do not refer to sole traders or partnerships. I think regulation is required there. Many sole traders trade under their own names without additions and thus do not need to register a Business Name under the Registration of Business Names Act, 1963 with the Companies Registration Office (CRO) but due to the paucity of information on the website of the CRO many sole traders do not realise that they still need to register with the Revenue Commissioners via Form TR1? (even now I can’t find out the exact name of the form) as a sole trader. In doing so they acquire a number, which is typically their PPS number. I believe the regulation should extend to sole traders as it would make them realise they are not registered, and should be.

    The public awareness of the requirement of all businesses to be registered is high in Australia where all businesses - regardless of registration type - have an Australian Business Number - ABN - which they must display.

    Ireland is slowly becoming a Police State

    Published February 14th, 2007 in digital rights, bureaucaracy, police state, red tape, Revenue Commissioners and uncategorized. 0 Comments

    I previously wrote about The Private Security Authority and how it acts as an agent of the Revenue Commissioners in ensuring tax compliance of sections of the populace by requiring a Tax Clearance Certificate from its clients.


    Well today my attention was drawn to the activities of another resonably new body (est 2001)called the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE).


    This morning, Tuesday 13th February 2007, a shocking word appeared on the news page of their website, the word… was “Extension”. When used in an official context this word is almost always shocking, it is used to slip in a rule that the populace do not like and play down its importance as a mere “extension” of an already existing rule.

    I am of course envoking Godwin’s Law here.


    But can we blame the ODCE they say they are merely implementing “SI No. 49 of 2007
    EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (COMPANIES) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2007″, which is a mere implementation of “EU Directive 2003/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 July 2003″, the ODCE are merely following orders.


    In the short term the new requirements are wonderful for webmasters who can make a fast buck editing their clients, and former clients sites, but in the longer term these requirements are worrying, they are but the latest example of the increasing red tape clogging life in Ireland.

    Continue reading ‘Ireland is slowly becoming a Police State’

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