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Rent Allowance & Mortgage

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  • 16-12-2011 1:17pm
    #1
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi

    I won't bore you with the ins & outs but my wife has decided to leave me. We have 3 small kids. We are both on the dole (her illness benefit myself BTEA). We have a mortgage of approx€1800 which we have re-negotiated with the bank who will accept the mortgage interest supplement (MIS) for the next 12 months (while we try to get work).
    Now she wants to leave and get her own place. We want to share the kids (me 3 days her 4 days or similar).
    As far as she is concerned she just has to put her name on the housing list and apply for rent allowance to get sorted. But I think its going to be a bit more complicated than that.
    Surly out MIS cheque will be affected? And as she half owns this house won't that go against her? I spoke to the CWO and he says its going to be difficult as we have a mortgage.
    She says that if she tells them that she can't live her anymore with me and tells them she is taking the kids that they will look kindly on her. But I'm not too keen on looking like I've thrown her out, I haven't!

    Anyone have any experience or info in such a case?


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    #2
    tenchi-fan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,339 ✭✭✭tenchi-fan


    The MIS might not be affected as badly as you think and you may be able to continue receiving it for 12 months.

    I guess she'll get on a housing list if she moves out and takes the kids with her, leaving you to the mortgage.

    However, the government has plans to replace mortgage supplement with a scheme which allows families to rent their house from the bank, thus staying in their family home. Clearly you will have difficulties availing of this scheme if your wife and kids aren't living with you ("me three days her four" doesn't really cut it, your kids would be registered at your wife's new address where she'd presumably be claiming one-parent family allowance).

    A lot of guess-work here.. Obviously the big concern for the welfare office is that your separation isn't just a separation of convenience, where you're really still together and just claiming a double-whammy of benefits. I reckon they'd hold off paying anything for three months until they can determine whether you're really together.

    As a matter of interest, how much longer do you plan to be in college?


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    #3
    Slydice
    Registered Users Posts: 10,501 ✭✭✭✭Slydice


    1800 is a pretty huge mortgage for a parent alone :(

    I'd have a think about your prospects on getting some kind of job which will allow you to cover such a large sum and look after kids and maybe also supply some maintenance to your wife.

    If you don't think there's a good chance of getting that sort, then maybe it's time to let the house go.


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