Rent Allowance experience please read.

mumfordandsons

HI,

I lost my job in around aug and since then i have being studying and trying to find work. i have not been able to find work.

i got all forms ect to apply for rent allowance. filled then in and went see welfare officer as money very low at moment. i am receiving socal welfare payments .196 month.

i have lots bill and most this has come out my saving and now dole money leaving me little left. i expalin this to welfare office .
i am renting apartment with girlfriend . who is on low salary.
the main things i cannot understand and was told. because my girlfriend working i am wont get any rent payment at all. but our money is our own and little of it to go round. if anyone is going claim i suggest maybe friend best to say as this totally changes things( which i think strange.)please keep in mind because i would not want anyone else to lose out over this detail.


But there is also another weird one even if girlfriend was not working . If rent is over 550 per month living in meath , we or i for half rent trying to claim would get nothing!!!! this is **** , is took us year find our apartment which bit above this. can anyone tell me where find apartment at these rates.
please bear in mind these lessons i learned and some these facts which are often hidden or hard to find. And as the officer happy pointed out , these figs will go down again very shorty.


Everyone i have spoken to today was shocked ect to learn and seems very unfair, i tried to do things above board. and as many have said what a difference a baby makes. am sure and dont mean to cause offence but iam sure know what i mean.

Moonbeam

rent allowance is set at a max in every region.These amounts are freely available.
You and your girlfriend are co-habiting so social welfare take this in to account for benefits and means testing.


http://www.citizensinformation.ie/News/whats-new/whats-new-october-2010/know-your-rights-cohabiting-and-means-tests

Celvapan

mumfordandsons wrote: »

HI,

I lost my job in around aug and since then i have being studying and trying to find work. i have not been able to find work.

i got all forms ect to apply for rent allowance. filled then in and went see welfare officer as money very low at moment. i am receiving socal welfare payments .196 month.

i have lots bill and most this has come out my saving and now dole money leaving me little left. i expalin this to welfare office .
i am renting apartment with girlfriend . who is on low salary.
the main things i cannot understand and was told. because my girlfriend working i am wont get any rent payment at all. but our money is our own and little of it to go round. if anyone is going claim i suggest maybe friend best to say as this totally changes things( which i think strange.)please keep in mind because i would not want anyone else to lose out over this detail.


But there is also another weird one even if girlfriend was not working . If rent is over 550 per month living in meath , we or i for half rent trying to claim would get nothing!!!! this is **** , is took us year find our apartment which bit above this. can anyone tell me where find apartment at these rates.
please bear in mind these lessons i learned and some these facts which are often hidden or hard to find. And as the officer happy pointed out , these figs will go down again very shorty.


Everyone i have spoken to today was shocked ect to learn and seems very unfair, i tried to do things above board. and as many have said what a difference a baby makes. am sure and dont mean to cause offence but iam sure know what i mean.

Hi mumfordandsons, Sorry to hear that you lost your job. I am in a very similar position as yourself, however I am not living with my OH.

I lost my job in July and went to see about Rent Allowance 3 days after being made redundant. I was told that the place I was living in was above the threshold for RA so I moved out and moved into a cheaper place. I then returned to the social welfare officer, who told me that I have to apply for council housing and be assessed by the council for my housing need (I wasn't told this the first time I saw the SWO). So almost 4 months later, I am waiting to be assessed by the council and have been paying my rent from my Jobseekers benefit, which as you mentioned with bills etc is very tough. There is apparently a 2 month waiting list to be assessed by the council where I live and I am about half way through this now.

The rates may be found here: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/social-welfare/social-welfare-payments/supplementary-welfare-schemes/rent_supplement

But bare in mind if you live in a county they have different rates to the city (for example Limerick City is listed as €446 for a single person and if you live in Limerick county, the rate is lower but not listed on this list). Your Community welfare officer should be able to tell you what the limit is for your area.

I agree with you that it is a complete sham that you are not allowed to claim RA if you are living with your other half. It just seems crazy to me that someone you are going out with and not even married to should have to bare the brunt of rent. It is not fair. I live on my own, as I do not want to subject my OH to that as his job is not secure and he needs his own money and can't afford to be supporting me.

Have you contacted you local council about social housings? Would it be an option for you to move out and get a place of your own? I know its not ideal, but at least then you may qualify for RA.

Hope everything works out for you.