# Received-''Brown Envelope'' from SW Office.



## Sn@kebite (19 Sep 2006)

Today I received a letter from the Social Welfare Office stating: that I must attent an interview to my local FAS Employmnt Office. If I fail my U/A will possibly be severed. 

I just wanted to know what happens at the FAS office if anyone else has attented an interview like this and is there anything i should know before i go? 
Will I be ''forced'' to select a training course with FAS and if i do/don't what rights do i have?

I'd basically like to know exactly what is in store for me over the next week and a half.

Thanks if your able to help!...the more info will be more hepful.

Thanks again AAM.com.


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## KCT (19 Sep 2006)

*Re: Recieved-''Brown Envelope'' from SW Office.*

FAS will interview you to see what kind of work you are looking for and what skills/training you have. If possible they would refer you to job vacancies they have or if you needed further training they would offer courses to you. If you fail to cooperate with them then they will tell the dole office and there is the possibility they could cut off your dole.


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## MugsGame (19 Sep 2006)

*Re: Recieved-''Brown Envelope'' from SW Office.*

They may request evidence that you have been looking for work, e.g. rejection letters from employers.


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## Miles (19 Sep 2006)

*Re: Recieved-''Brown Envelope'' from SW Office.*

Getting yourself a job tends to get them off your back...


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## December (19 Sep 2006)

*Re: Recieved-''Brown Envelope'' from SW Office.*

If you were looking for employment, surely you would have already registered with FAS?


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## Sn@kebite (19 Sep 2006)

*Re: Recieved-''Brown Envelope'' from SW Office.*



MugsGame said:


> They may request evidence that you have been looking for work, e.g. rejection letters from employers.



Is this FAS you're talking about, or my local SW office? I don't see why FAS would have any interest in my efforts to secure work in a shop, etc..



December said:


> If you were looking for employment, surely you would have already registered with FAS?




I know i should've registerd with FAS but i thought the better option is to get a part time job in a supermarket eg. Dunnes, Tesco etc..

The FAS road seems to be a ''hit or miss'' option for me i.e. you either choose the right course or you realise you've made a mistake somewhere. What if I _did_ choose a course i'm not happy with, can I leave?
However I'm prepared to go down that road if it means i won't be cut off the dole; or maybe I don't even have a choice.


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## bond-007 (20 Sep 2006)

*Re: Recieved-''Brown Envelope'' from SW Office.*

You will be looking at a Gestapo style questioning session from FAS as to why you are claiming off the state. It is basically a ploy to drive as many as possible off welfare.


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## conor_mc (20 Sep 2006)

Yes, the meeting with Fas is mandatory when claiming UA but no, it's not a grilling and they won't force you to do a course.

I assume you're actively looking for alternative employment. Tell them how thats going and what you've done so far. They might try to help with it if they can. Depending on your field of expertise, they might just leave you at it. I had to attend an interview a few years ago, but IT isn't one of FAS's strong points so they just said to get back in touch if I wanted/needed some help.


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## Sn@kebite (21 Sep 2006)

conor_mc said:


> Yes, the meeting with Fas is mandatory when claiming UA but no, it's not a grilling and they won't force you to do a course.
> 
> I assume you're actively looking for alternative employment. Tell them how thats going and what you've done so far. They might try to help with it if they can. Depending on your field of expertise, they might just leave you at it. I had to attend an interview a few years ago, but IT isn't one of FAS's strong points so they just said to get back in touch if I wanted/needed some help.


 
thanks for the info Conor, IT was the exact type of course i had in mind, and it sucks that Ireland would probably be the only country in the world where IT
isnt its' strong point especially now that IT is probably the most widely and fastest growing, popular form of employment in the world.

If you could give some more info on what took place in the interview, so i can be more prepared I would greatly appreciate it. Feel free to pm me if you like.
Thanks


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## lff12 (23 Sep 2006)

Sn@kebite said:


> Today I received a letter from the Social Welfare Office stating: that I must attent an interview to my local FAS Employmnt Office. If I fail my U/A will possibly be severed.
> 
> I just wanted to know what happens at the FAS office if anyone else has attented an interview like this and is there anything i should know before i go?
> Will I be ''forced'' to select a training course with FAS and if i do/don't what rights do i have?
> ...


 
This happened to a scumbag who lived downstairs from me about 5 years ago.  Apparently she failed to turn up 5 times before they cut her off.

Generally meetings like this are designed to ensure that you are actually looking for work and not just making a career for yourself on welfare.  If you are genuinely out of work because you can't get a job and would like to work then you have nothing to fear and they can only help you.

If however you are just a sponger who wants to spend as long as possible sitting on your This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language taking other people's hard earned taxes for nothing, then you do have everything to fear, and you'll get what you deserve!


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## bond-007 (23 Sep 2006)

I had a very unpleasant metting with FAS about 7 years ago about the same subject. I was on the dole for a about a year, no fault of my own got laid off. I had applied for back to education which allows me to go backto full time 3rd level and keep my benefits. I was approved and was starting my course in september that year.
I got a letter from FAS asking me to attend a meeting 4 days before my course was starting. The local social told me to just tell them I am going to college and leave it at that. I went in and told them this. They went ballistic. The person i was talking to would have made a great gestapo officer in the third reich.  I told him that I had been looking for work up to now and that I was now going to college. Not good enough was his response, he wanted me to keep looking actively for the last 4 days before my course. What an asshole, who was subsequently bolloxed for his treatment of me.

Beware of them.


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## Sn@kebite (23 Sep 2006)

lff12 said:


> Generally meetings like this are designed to ensure that you are actually looking for work and not just making a career for yourself on welfare.  If you are genuinely out of work because you can't get a job and would like to work then you have nothing to fear and they can only help you.
> If however you are just a sponger who wants to spend as long as possible sitting on your This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language taking other people's hard earned taxes for nothing, then you do have everything to fear, and you'll get what you deserve!



I have no problem with this interview as €165.80 pw just isn't enough to live on, so this is a good thing. I'm definitely not a sponger and I want to have some kind of a career in my life.
PS-you mean I have everything to fear if I like sitting on my This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language, spending the Government's hard earned tax. If I wasnt on the dole tha taxpayers wouldnt get their money back anyway.
You wouldnt happen to be a civil servant yourself would you LFF?
But anyway thanx for the heads-up I know exactly what ur on about..


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## Knotty (19 Oct 2006)

About 6 years ago I was on UA and after 3 months was called in for the FAS meeting. The woman wanted me to go to various training events that they had scheduled. The location of these events were a problem for me though as I didn't have a car and this can be a problem in Donegal as public transport is a bit crappy. When I told her this she went ballistic and started giving me the whole sermon about sponging off the state and so on but not in those words. I then decided to tell her that I wanted to go back to education in a few months time and her whole mood changed. She was more than helpful. She talked to me about her family members who did the same thing and even put me on the right path as to what grants/bursuries that were available.

 So what I think I'm saying is this, if you go to the FAS meeting with no idea as to what you want to do other than lay about and act the idiot then that's the way you're going to be treated but if you go there with some idea of how you can better yourself then they will do whatever possible to give you the help that you deserve.


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## lff12 (20 Oct 2006)

Sn@kebite said:


> I have no problem with this interview as €165.80 pw just isn't enough to live on, so this is a good thing. I'm definitely not a sponger and I want to have some kind of a career in my life.
> PS-you mean I have everything to fear if I like sitting on my This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language, spending the Government's hard earned tax. If I wasnt on the dole tha taxpayers wouldnt get their money back anyway.
> You wouldnt happen to be a civil servant yourself would you LFF?
> But anyway thanx for the heads-up I know exactly what ur on about..


 
no i'm not a civil servant, would love their wages and conditions though.
all i'm saying is that if you've a genuine reason for being on welfare that isn't "i just dont want to work" then they'll happily help you.

I'm not sure what you're trying to suggest when you say that taxpayers wouldn't get their money back.  If there were fewer on welfare then presumeably there would be lower taxes in the first place.  The reason taxes exist is to pay for services - which include social welfare costs, and presumably the less people that use those services then the lower the costs - hence the less tax money that is required.  Surely that makes sense?

The idea of welfare is to support those who cannot support themselves with a basic subsistance income.  If people simply see it as a long term option then its no longer a useful concept.  All I am saying is that it can be - and is - widely abused by those who do not wish to work, and I've lived amongst lots of these people over the years, they do exist.


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## Sn@kebite (19 Nov 2006)

lff12 said:


> no i'm not a civil servant, would love their wages and conditions though.
> all i'm saying is that if you've a genuine reason for being on welfare that isn't "i just dont want to work" then they'll happily help you.
> 
> I'm not sure what you're trying to suggest when you say that taxpayers wouldn't get their money back.  If there were fewer on welfare then presumeably there would be lower taxes in the first place.  The reason taxes exist is to pay for services - which include social welfare costs, and presumably the less people that use those services then the lower the costs - hence the less tax money that is required.  Surely that makes sense?
> ...



GIVE ME A JOB AND I'LL WORK!!!!
No but seriously if there was a 0% unemployment rate in Ireland i really don't think that taxes would be abolished or even lowered beacause, no dole seekers = more money for polititions.
Q.If everybody put their bins out yearly, would the bin tax be lowered?
A.I Don't Think So!!!!


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## Megan (23 Nov 2006)

Would you like to share with us how the interview went?


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## Miles (23 Nov 2006)

Sn@kebite said:


> GIVE ME A JOB AND I'LL WORK!!!!
> No but seriously if there was a 0% unemployment rate in Ireland i really don't think that taxes would be abolished or even lowered beacause, no dole seekers = more money for polititions.
> Q.If everybody put their bins out yearly, would the bin tax be lowered?
> A.I Don't Think So!!!!


 
With an narrow minded attitude like that no wonder you re not working!!


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## Sn@kebite (28 Nov 2006)

Miles said:


> With an narrow minded attitude like that no wonder you re not working!!



Ok narrow minded would be somebody who lives in their own world and is unaware of reality, (i.e. whats going on around them) I am aware of what's going on around me, so how does that make me narrow minded?

P.S. in responce to your rediculous point of ''no wonder you're not working'' you try to tell my guidence councilor to pay for my COLLEGE tuition while im working. Figure out the facts of my life before you pass judgement. Now whose being narrow minded??
I Bid You GOOD DAY!!! My Friend.


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## Sn@kebite (28 Nov 2006)

Megan said:


> Would you like to share with us how the interview went?



Who are you taling to Megan?


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## ClubMan (28 Nov 2006)

This thread is going nowhere other than descending into petty bickering (including the several posts that were already deleted) so I am closing it. Feel free to take rants over to _Letting Off Steam _or another, more suitable, discussion forum.


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