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The Saker
A bird's eye view of the vineyard

offsite link Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb

offsite link The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog.? We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).?

offsite link What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are

offsite link Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of

offsite link The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker
Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by

The Saker >>

Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

Human Rights in Ireland
Promoting Human Rights in Ireland

Human Rights in Ireland >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link ?Ulez Architect? and 20mph Zone Supporter Appointed New Transport Secretary Fri Nov 29, 2024 17:38 | Will Jones
One of the 'architects of Ulez' and a supporter of 20mph zones has been appointed as the new Transport Secretary?after Louise Haigh's resignation, raising fears the anti-car measures may become national policy.
The post ‘Ulez Architect’ and 20mph Zone Supporter Appointed New Transport Secretary appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Assisted Suicide Set to Be Legalised as MPs Back Bill Fri Nov 29, 2024 15:07 | Will Jones
MPs have voted in favour of legalising assisted suicide as Labour's massive majority allowed the legislation to clear its first hurdle in the House of Commons by 330 votes to 275.
The post Assisted Suicide Set to Be Legalised as MPs Back Bill appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Australia Passes Landmark Social Media Ban for Under-16s Fri Nov 29, 2024 13:43 | Rebekah Barnett
Australia is the first country to ban social media for under-16s after a landmark bill passed that critics have warned is rushed and a Trojan horse for Government Digital ID as everyone must now verify their age.
The post Australia Passes Landmark Social Media Ban for Under-16s appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Is Banning the Burps of Bullocks Worth Risking Our Bollocks? Fri Nov 29, 2024 11:32 | Ben Pile
Is banning the burps of bullocks worth risking our bollocks? That the question posed by the decision to give Bovaer to cows to 'save the planet', says Ben Pile, after evidence suggests a possible risk to male fertility.
The post Is Banning the Burps of Bullocks Worth Risking Our Bollocks? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link The Ed Miliband Phenomenon ? What Makes ?Britain?s Most Dangerous Man? Tick? Fri Nov 29, 2024 09:00 | Tilak Doshi
With his zeal for impoverishing Britain and his imperviousness to inconvenient facts, Ed Miliband is Britain's most dangerous man, says Tilak Doshi. What makes fanatics like him tick?
The post The Ed Miliband Phenomenon ? What Makes ?Britain?s Most Dangerous Man? Tick? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

Rent Allowance-More Stealth Cuts?

category national | public consultation / irish social forum | other press author Sunday September 20, 2009 11:08author by Greg T - None (Independent left) Report this post to the editors

Highlighting recent changes to the rent supplement scheme as well as other disturbing developments.

As if June's cut wasn't enough, ( see: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/94053 ) waiting period of up to several months for rent allowance assessment to be completed are going to result from recent changes to the rent supplement scheme . This development may make things next to impossible for any newly unemployed without significant savings, in the meantime more and more people are undoubtedly going to become homeless.
http://www.corkindependent.com/local-news/local-news/co...nces/
(It's nice to see a Labour TD taking action on this issue). As if that isn't worrying enough, just been told by someone I know (coincidentally also in County Cork), that new Rent Allowance claims are not being processed at all in her area. This person was basically informed (informally) that her claim was a waste of time and that due to staff shortages new applications will not get seen to. Sounds suspiciously like yet another stealth on the sly cut. Meanwhile the NAMA plans to bailout the rich continue, gombeen politics as usual. If anyone else knows similar stories they need to be highlighted immediately. Affected people need to kick up a fuss or they will be (conveniently) forgotten.

Related Link: http://www.corkindependent.com/local-news/local-news/concern-about-rent-allowances/
author by shoegirlpublication date Mon Sep 21, 2009 17:35author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Isn't the whole point of rent allowance so that people in EXISTING rented accomodation are subsidised, not so that people who are currently receiving a social welfare payment can choose to change their existing accomodation at a whim?

That said, the changes are harsh on anybody who otherwise would be facing the scenario of having no roof under their head - for example if their landlord is selling up or if the family home is no longer a safe place for them.

Forcing low income households into the market sector should never have been a solution in the first place - accomodation should have been made available via social housing, not via giving guaranteed profits to market landlords at obscene overpriced rates and pushing up demand artificially for private rented property through engineering artificial shortages in social housing through non-provision. (But then spending billions on private sector rents instead? Doesn't even make financial sense if you take into account that the cost of housing rent subsidised households over the last 10 years has probably already far exceeded the cost of actually providing them with permanent council or housing association homes?)

The current policy of locking in this form of "non-provision" by long term leasing from private landlords is doing nothing more than subsidizing the worst kind of profiteering landlords.

 
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