Back dating rent allowance

TheMilkyPirate

My fiancee is currently going through applying for rent allowance and the assesor was up at her mothers today to see the house and whatever and said that she will more than likely get it.

What she's wondering now is will it be back dated and from when? She had to apply to go on the housing list first which took over 11 weeks. So will she be back dated from when she applied to go on the list or when??

thanks

Lugh Ildanach

It is usually backdated to the date of application.

TheMilkyPirate

Lugh Ildanach wrote: »

It is usually backdated to the date of application.

Application to the housing list?

TheMilkyPirate

Lugh Ildanach wrote: »

It is usually backdated to the date of application.

Application to the housing authority to go on the list?

Lugh Ildanach

baraca wrote: »

Application to the housing authority to go on the list?

NO, application for rent supplement.

snubbleste

It's actually the date of application to the housing authority.

Balagan

Have been assessed by a local authority as being eligible for and in need of social housing in the last 12 months. If you don't have a housing need assessment, you must go to the local authority to have your housing need assessed. The local authority must be in the area that you intend to live and claim Rent Supplement. Only when you are assessed as eligible for and in need of housing can you apply for Rent Supplement. Rent Supplement is not payable while the local authority is carrying out a housing needs assessment.[/I]

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/supplementary_welfare_schemes/rent_supplement.html

TheMilkyPirate

Was talking to a friend of mine last night and he said when he applied for his rent allowance he was waiting three weeks, He was only assessed on the second week but got back dated for the full three weeks.

It's hardly different outcomes for different claims is it??

snubbleste

baraca wrote: »

Was talking to a friend of mine last night and he said when he applied for his rent allowance he was waiting three weeks, He was only assessed on the second week but got back dated for the full three weeks.
It's hardly different outcomes for different claims is it??

He should get in touch with the CWO, highlight this and pay a week back.

Lugh Ildanach

baraca wrote: »

Was talking to a friend of mine last night and he said when he applied for his rent allowance he was waiting three weeks, He was only assessed on the second week but got back dated for the full three weeks.

It's hardly different outcomes for different claims is it??

The rules are as set out above. Different application of the rules, or misapplication of the rules however is common enough, especially in the decentralised CWO system where individual CWOs have a fair bit of autonomy and discretion.

There is a pretty wide discretion about backdating of applications, although the new rules are clear about rent supplement being payable while housing application is being assessed. Those rules though are relatively new (early 2009 i think) so may be that they were missed in your friend's case.

millivanilli

i had a similar question, and it seems like it does depend on the individual CWO. I just got my application for RA approved this week, applied to housing authority on 27th April and applied for RA on 26th May. I thought the application would be backdated to when I left forms in but they said no. I wouldn't mind so much only a good friend of mine who has a different CWO got hers backdated last month to when she applied to the housing office so it seems like the CWOs just decide individually whether to back date or not. it seems unfair not to at least back date to when you applied for RA as waiting times to be assessed for housing need are so long.

Graces7

I had to wait nearly seven months to get RA. Most of that was waiting for the housing dept assessment, which the CWO mistakenly said was needed, when in fact it was not as I was renting privately some years in another area.

They backdated to January only, whereas the application was made last September.

Someone advised me that they should backdate to the date of application so I asked and behold! That has been done.

Always check and ask, please. If they keep folk on very low incomes hanging around for weeks or months?

And if you are not happy, then make a formal complaint as I was going to. I also cced all communications to the CWOs Supervisor; address easily found online. Results were then very fast indeed...