# what about hobbies and social welfare?



## ccdebtor (16 Mar 2010)

I was envolved in a discussion recently about someone in our area in reciept of disability allowance that keeps a few little ponies for a hobby, which he breeds and shows. My friend said they could be done for welfare fraud as they sell the odd horse but I disagree, as I know they have to do that to pay for the rented grazing, hay and all the other costs of keeping a horse and they are not recieving an income or even making a profit. What do other people think, which of us is right?


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## KATE_2 (16 Mar 2010)

I dont know the right answer to this, but I dont imagine it would have any effect on the social welfare claim. On the application for social welfare they ask if you have any savings, and when I asked about this question I was told by the guy which carried out my means test that they are referring to large amouns of savings, circa 40,000 euro. So I think that unless these animals are worth ALOT of money, it would have no effect. By the way, I was not impressed to think that someone with 30,000 euro just sitting in their bank account would still be given money from the state each week, but maybe Im just a begrudger.


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## jack2009 (16 Mar 2010)

i would imagine they could be done as their hobby is preventing them from being available for work.


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## pudds (16 Mar 2010)

I would be more concerned about what welfare would think of their ability to look after ponies in the first place and they on Disability.


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## donee (17 Mar 2010)

jack2009 said:


> i would imagine they could be done as their hobby is preventing them from being available for work.


 i assume, that if someone is on DA then they are not able to work, so would therefore not be 'available for work' in any case. just because some one has a fairly physical hobby, doesent mean that they dont suffer from a mental disability, i.e. depression etc.


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## jack2009 (17 Mar 2010)

donee said:


> i assume, that if someone is on DA then they are not able to work, so would therefore not be 'available for work' in any case. just because some one has a fairly physical hobby, doesent mean that they dont suffer from a mental disability, i.e. depression etc.


 
Perhaps, but as we do not know the individual it is hard to judge.  However, it does sound like quite a labour intensive "hobbie" that could quite possibly mean that the person on DA should be also able to work if even just a few days a week.


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## enoxy (18 Mar 2010)

pudds said:


> I would be more concerned about what welfare would think of their ability to look after ponies in the first place and they on Disability.


 
I thought ponies were small and low maintenance - there's not much upkeep with them at all.


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## ccdebtor (18 Mar 2010)

> it does sound like quite a labour intensive "hobbie" that could quite possibly mean that the person on DA should be also able to work if even just a few days a week.


 
Actually I know thats not true as they are not ridden and kept in fields rather than stables so wouldnt take long to feed etc. Plus they do have family to help.


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## Welfarite (18 Mar 2010)

The key here is that the person is not breaking the ruling for receipt of disbility allowance, bith as regards being capable of work and having means. The person should contatc the DA section to clear up the matter.


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## ccdebtor (18 Mar 2010)

It wasnt the person involved that wanted to know, as I said in my o.p I asked to settle a discussion I had with a friend. thanks for all the answers though.


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