INOU – ‘Social welfare system needs to change to reflect reality’

 That is according to the Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed which has been reacting to research which shows people are passing up work in case they lose vital benefits.
The Citizens Information Board has highlighted a string of so called ‘welfare traps’ which create barriers to work or stop part time staff from taking on extra hours.
The INOU’s John Stewart says that’s down to an out of date system.
“So say for example somebody was offered a job for 15 hours a week but only at 3 hours a day – well then in those circumstances there would be no entitlement to a jobs seekers payment at all” he said.
“So that’s a good example where – because it counts days rather than hours, in terms of work – it’s actually working against the individual being able to take up that employment” he added.