Rent Allowance (waiting for)

Owen2346

Hey, I'm just curious to know how long it takes to process R/A?
I'm unemployed.

I'm on the housing list from a few years back.
I've handed in all the forms that I can at this stage of the application and I'm just waiting to hear back from the Housing Authorities so they can do their "inspection".

I've been waiting for this "inspection" since the start of last October. It's now March. I've been in to them 6 times and they just tell me to wait for them to contact me.

Everytime I go in they assure me that it will happen soon. Initially they said 1 - 2 weeks. It's been 5 months + now...

Is this normal?

What could I do to move things along?

Graces7

Hang on in there. I have been working on RA since September... The hold up is the council housing dept; you must have moved area?

Finally had an email today that the Housing Officer will be in my area tomorrrow.

I am in Cork and apparently eight months is the norm here.....

Graces7

At last am on the housing list.. What a farrago it is.. he gave me the letter I need for the CWO there and then too. So that paperwork is all packed and ready to post..

Owen2346

Thanks for your response.

Moved area? Well when I did register for the housing list about 6 years ago, I was living near this area. I haven't had RA since that time though, a lot has changed I guess.

What kind of letter did they give you for the CWO?
I went to her first and got the forms.
The step I'm waiting on is the letter from the Housing Authority so I can give it to the CWO along with the form, she doesn't want the form without the letter. I wonder if it's the same type of letter?

I was into them again, but I may as well be speaking to myself, for all the info they give you, until I get contacted from the elusive "Mike" who is the only one there that can do anything apparently.

I remember reading somewhere that the backpay for it is capped at 3 months arrears. So anything after that is you losing out on rent assistance.

You said the average wait is 8 months... ?

For a variety of reasons I didn't have a lease from my previous landlord, disorganized housing agency, lazy housemates, etc.
So I'm paying for that now.

If not on the housing list it would take a further 6 months.
So would that mean on average in Cork, without prior registration on the housing list, the wait period is about 14 months before you see a penny of RA? And that's if the application clears..

I wonder if the appeals office in Dublin are worth contacting, or have they closed shop to the public at this stage..

I'm confused and almost fed up with the whole affair.

Looking for someone or somewhere in the City Council to start a correspondence with now..

Graces7

Owen2346 wrote: »

Thanks for your response.

Moved area? Well when I did register for the housing list about 6 years ago, I was living near this area. I haven't had RA since that time though, a lot has changed I guess.

What kind of letter did they give you for the CWO?
I went to her first and got the forms.
The step I'm waiting on is the letter from the Housing Authority so I can give it to the CWO along with the form, she doesn't want the form without the letter. I wonder if it's the same type of letter?

I was into them again, but I may as well be speaking to myself, for all the info they give you, until I get contacted from the elusive "Mike" who is the only one there that can do anything apparently.

I remember reading somewhere that the backpay for it is capped at 3 months arrears. So anything after that is you losing out on rent assistance.

You said the average wait is 8 months... ?

For a variety of reasons I didn't have a lease from my previous landlord, disorganized housing agency, lazy housemates, etc.
So I'm paying for that now.

If not on the housing list it would take a further 6 months.
So would that mean on average in Cork, without prior registration on the housing list, the wait period is about 14 months before you see a penny of RA? And that's if the application clears..

I wonder if the appeals office in Dublin are worth contacting, or have they closed shop to the public at this stage..

I'm confused and almost fed up with the whole affair.

Looking for someone or somewhere in the City Council to start a correspondence with now..

That is the letter I mean, that the CWO needs before RA application is processed..

The Housing Officer left it with me when he visited on Thursday.

The Council said when I got the forms from them that it was taking 6-8 weeks for them to deal with them; in fact it has been 4 months.

Others have told me that the normal time in Cork is 8 months, start to finish. Which is about what it will be for me it seems.

I know the application will clear as my income is way below the levels they apply. And the Solid Fuel etc cleared very fast last year.

I did send a short note to the Housing two weeks ago, simply asking re the application and that as it was delaying RA this was causing ongoing hardship.
Write to the Housing Department; or ask Citizen;s Info

It was not "Mike " l dealt with!

Not sure re other things you say; surely the 6 months will have elapsed by now, if you are renting in the area? I had been renting and on RA for a few years so they had those records. They did not ask for a previous lease but assuming they would have checked.

The rules seem to be changing all the time too;; just stand your ground.

Good luck

Owen2346

Hey, thanks for your input once again.

Progress!
I was mailed a "certificate of income", which after being stamped by the social welfare, revenue office and a garda is back with the housing authorities.

Pending approval now

Owen2346

Once I got the housing application letter to the CWO, everything moved forward quickly from there.

Got my RA now, and it was backdated to when I first applied.
What a relief.