Ds age 18 signing on the dole

[Breadhead1]

Ds will be 18 and when he finishes school is thinking of signing on the dole and then joining a course to keep the training allowance money. I'm not in UK.
From what I've read if you are already on the dole, to get people back into work they pay them an allowance to do a course and then hopefully they will get a job afterwards.
I think he should do the course (course would be free) and then work at the weekends. He thinks he'd be stupid to sit next to someone getting paid to do the same course, aibu?

I think if it's job seekers then he needs to be jobseekung, not at college. But I AM in the UK and don't know the Irish system

Honestly OP, I’d be mortified if my child aspired to be purposely unemployed. To the extent that I’d charge him 90% of his JSA as rent for him to continue living at home. If he doesn’t want to do that, he won’t be long learning he had to work if he wants any form of a life.

I don’t think you can get job seekers unless you were previously employed?

Is the dole relatively more generous in Ireland, here it would be about £300 a month for an 18 year old but I suppose that is a lot of money if living at home.

Will the course lead onto employment, is he genuinely interested in the subject?

Lazy people with low character

That's stupid. There should be a limit to how many courses you can do without actually getting a job.

I don't have an issue with my son claiming UC while he looks for a job, I can't afford for him not to. I just think he should work alongside his course.

He sounds like a lazy shit and I’d be ashamed if he was my son tbh.

When DS2 was 18 he was at university doing a nursing degree and working all his spare hours in Spoons to make ends meet. Even when my two were at school, doing A levels, they had weekend/holiday jobs.

Then he’s doing nothing wrong. Tbh, at least he’s doing some training, which I assume will help him get a job. Better than some on MN, young and old, who do nothing but sit on their arses finding excuses to not work or train.

Tell him, he can't apply until 3 months after the day of his last exam. He'll also need a letter from his school to confirm he is not due back. As he's 18, he'll have to provide both parents' payslips and any means will be taken off the rate for under 25s which is max 129.70, if he lives at home that'll instantly be reduced to €98 euro per week.
It might be easier to get a job.

What's the course? Maybe he won't end up on the course he wants, and instead gets allocated some other course, is that possible?

I'm pretty sure whatever country it is (I have been unemployed in Switzerland), they have ways to make sure you are looking for a job.

I don't imagine it is that hard to get a job in Ireland (depending on location), so he might end up having his benefits cancelled or in a job he never really wanted.

I don’t know what it’s like in Ireland but certainly in the Uk it’s easier to just get a job than jump through the VERY many hoops to get JSA/ UC

Whats wrong with actually getting a job?

@ChanelNo19EDT thank you, this sounds exactly like the information I need to show him.
Unfortunately the social welfare system here is much easier to abuse than the UK. I have been on job seekers myself when I was made redundant, I'm employed now. But there's no push to get a job or a need to show you are looking for work. I don't want that for him.
I'll charge him rent from his allowance or charge nothing if he works.

Has he not done the leaving cert? He should pull his finger out rather than expecting the Irish taxpayer to fund him. We need swingeing benefit changes in Ireland. I would be mortified if my child was on the dole at 18. Shameless just like the TV show.

Doesn't he have any ambition to do a job, what career is he interested in.

I think you’re definitely right to charge him rent if he decides to go that route. He needs to learn that not everything comes for free.

I might be inclined to point out that he’s not going to be having all the same experiences as his mates. No drunken nights out, no fancy trainers or a first car, no lads holidays or being an attractive prospect as a boyfriend. He’s closing off a lot of fun simply through laziness.

What course is he considering doing? To be honest if it is full time and challenging he genuinely might not think that he has time for a job.

I think more information is needed.

I wonder where he’s got this attitude from? I would be disgusted and very disappointed if my DS had said this. I would start by telling him that this isn’t an option ffs.

Why doesn't he just get a job? Tell him if he wants to be a benefits cheating slob he can do it from some other accommodation.