Rent Allowance- Housing List

Trish2007

Hi All,
Can anyone confirm if you definitely need to be on the council housing waiting list in order to qualify for rent allowance even if you satisfy one of the other conditions set out such as renting in private rented accomodation for 6 out of the past 12 months?

My friend who has 3 children had been given a council house a few years ago. She then left the council house with the father of the youngest child and they rented privately for over 2 years. They have now separated and my friend cannot afford the rent on her own and she is receiving only lone parents. She went to the CWO 4 months ago to apply for rent allowance but they told her she would have to apply for housing list first, she has only recently been told she has been refused without even having a chance to talk to the housing officer. The same housing officer is responsible for deciding Rent allowance and has told her she will not get that either.

Anyone have any advice and she is in a real poverty trap at the moment and is really getting the run around with the council and CWO. I know other people in receipt of RA who are not on the housing list so do not see why she cannot get it.

Nehaxak

Tell her to take herself and her 3 children down to her local elected politicians clinic and explain the situation to them, asking both for advice and their help. I'm loathe to further suggest she only go to her FF councillor but that's the way it is and probably her best bet at getting help although both SF and Labour councillors will push to help her, it's whether they have enough bite behind them to go with the bark.

Even a single person with no kids can get themselves on the housing list, even if it is just a couple of points and no chance of ever getting a house, it doesn't matter, they'll still get on the list with a couple points so I cannot see any reason for her to be refused, especially being a single mother with 3 children.

IrishTonyO

"She then left the council house with the father of the youngest child "

Would depend on the circumstances in which she left her previous house

Trish2007

She left the previous council house after applying for a transfer from the estate because of anti social behaviour from her neighbours and when they wouldnt transfer her they decided they would be better off renting, and because her partner was working they could afford the rent. This was over two years ago though. There were seven other families that handed back keys from the same estate within a few months and some of them have been rehoused since by the council.
She is now dealing with a different town council from the one in which she had the council house.

She has already approached politicians and councillors but they havent gotten very far with her case. The Saint Vincent dePaul are also requesting emergency meetings with the council on her behalf. I have suggested she go see a local TD who used to teach us at school and is from the same electrol area that she is now living in so she is arranging that.

If she could receive the Rent allowance she would be ok but at the moment it is looking like she might have to become homeless before they will help her out.

Did she follow all the correct procedures when surrendering her former council home?

As in the rent was paid up to date she left, and the keys handed back?

Because if she didn't follow the correct procedures, they won't deal with her. Especially if there was any rent left outstanding.

Trish2007

No she followed all the correct procedures and never had any complaints from the council, she only left the house because of the problems with the neighbours and the area wasnt safe for her kids. There are numerous families in the same estate still trying to be rehoused 2 years later.

Its not even the same local authority that is dealing with her now. Her main problem at the moment is the refusal of rent allowance when she hasnt even submitted a rent allowance application yet! She thinks the council she is dealing with now want her to move back to her home town, which is about 10 miles away but her children are now settled in school and she dosent want to move them and wouldnt be able to get them to school if she moved from the area.