Single mother benefits - way less than most of us would imagine.

gebbel

My friend, who is also a single mother, currently receives a total of €311 per week from SW. This is made up of a One Parent Family payment of around €180 and illness benefit of €131. She has just rented an apartment for €600 per month (the max threshold permitted in her area) and has been notified that she will €24 per week in rent allowance. So renting will cost her €126 per week. Yes there is a medical card, but she has only had to use it once in 9 months when her kid was sick.

So I was working it out: until she is well enough to return to work, which hopefully she will shortly, she will have an effective income of €185 per week. She has no other means or assets and has not, as yet, been successful in getting maintenance off the father. And then there are the bills, food, and a 9 month old baby etc etc.

I just thought I'd post her situation here, as there is a commonly held view everywhere that single mothers receive an astronomical amount of money from SW. This is clearly not the case.

I'm not posting this complaining about it by the way. Just for informative purposes and to find out if people are surprised or not.

Edit: I forgot to add that there is a monthly children's allowance payment of whatever that is.

miju

gebbel wrote: »

I'm not posting this complaining about it by the way. Just for informative purposes and to find out if people are surprised or not.

Edit: I forgot to add that there is a monthly children's allowance payment of whatever that is.

So that brings her weekly income to €220 a week.

Would be curious as to how shes only getting €24 a week in rent allowance seems to be something very amiss there as it's VERY low.

Only two things that would bring that rent allowance figure down to €24 would (a) because shes on illness benefit and technically in full time employment OR (b) more likely she in being paid maintenance from her ex and this is being considered as income as part of the means test.

What county is she living in?

gebbel

miju wrote: »

gebbel wrote: »

I'm not posting this complaining about it by the way. Just for informative purposes and to find out if people are surprised or not.

Edit: I forgot to add that there is a monthly children's allowance payment of whatever that is.

So that brings her weekly income to €220 a week.

Would be curious as to how shes only getting €24 a week in rent allowance seems to be something very amiss there as it's VERY low.

Only two things that would bring that rent allowance figure down to €24 would (a) because shes on illness benefit and technically in full time employment OR (b) more likely she in being paid maintenance from her ex and this is being considered as income as part of the means test.

What county is she living in?

Drogheda in Louth. There is no maintenance and never was. The rent allowance decision by her CWO was made only yesterday. He said her income does not entitle her to any more. Her income at present is exactly what I have posted, and not one cent more.

miju

Well I'd still say something is amiss here have a look at http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/swa_rent.aspx and see for yourself

gebbel

miju wrote: »

Well I'd still say something is amiss here have a look at http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/swa_rent.aspx and see for yourself

I will pass this on to her. I must admit I don't always get the ins and outs of the rules. Is the decision of a CWO binding?

SpaceRocket

I think we should count our blessings...

I am a single mother working part time and studying part time(work sponsored distance learning course). I earn 170e per week from work. Recieve 170e per week One Parent Family Payment. And 80e per week in maintenance from the father.

Then there is the 140e per month of Child Benefit that every child in Ireland is entitled to.

So in total that is my income of 420euros per week. (+ Child Benefit = 452e)

I pay rent of 950e per month, which ammounts to 220e each week.
The after school fees for my son for the days I work come to 70e per week.

So in total that's 420 income - 290 basic expenditure = 130 euros per week to live on. (or 162e including CB)

That's 18 - 22 euros a day. Out of this comes my car insurance/tax/petrol, gas/electricity, clothing/food... etc... for myself and my son.

I haven't applied for a medical card and I don't claim FIS/Rent Allowance.
I would be eligible for these but i am fearful of getting stuck in the Irish "social welfare poverty trap", plus have found that I CAN safely and happily live on 18euros per day and thankfully am in excellent health so i am happy and grateful for my 130 euros per week until such a time as i finish my course and hopefully recieve a long anticipated (but most likely menial) pay rise. I simply can't justify asking our impoverished state for more, when I already have enough.

There are people on this planet far worse off than me on my 130e and her on her 185e per week...

Money is NOT everything.

I have a roof, food, clothing, heating, electricity, satisfying job, friends and family whom I love, and a wonderfully happy, safe, and healthy child.

I'm also very glad that I was born in an Ireland that no longer sends young unwed mothers off to laundries to have their babies snatched off them.
We live in an Ireland that OFFERS single mothers/struggling families with little or no means to sustain themselves and their children ; a home, money, free healthcare, freedom of speech and expression, etc etc.
I'm VERY grateful for that and I wish everyone in this country who recieves any sort of state payment or subsidy would also see just how good we have it and be happy with what we have.

Just querying.... was she informed that the amount of rent allowance she has been awarded is €24 per week, or that her contribution towards her rent will be €24 per week?

The wording is important, as all rent allowance recipients have to make a minimum contribution of €24 per week towards their rent.

It struck me as conincidental that the amounts are the same, though it is possible her illness benefit is being assessed as means.

gebbel

Loueze wrote: »

Just querying.... was she informed that the amount of rent allowance she has been awarded is €24 per week, or that her contribution towards her rent will be €24 per week?

The wording is important, as all rent allowance recipients have to make a minimum contribution of €24 per week towards their rent.

It struck me as conincidental that the amounts are the same, though it is possible her illness benefit is being assessed as means.

Definitely awarded.

mrsbyrne

gebbel wrote: »

Definitely awarded.

Doesnt sound right any of it. If shes not working as shes out sick she should be in receipt of
€188
€29.80 OPFP
€94 1/2 rate Illness benefit
_____________
€311.80

If she has no other income and she has stayed within the rent limits, then her contribution towards her rent would be €24. Maybe if eastbono or someone is around they could confirm this.

gebbel

mrsbyrne wrote: »

gebbel wrote: »

Definitely awarded.

Doesnt sound right any of it. If shes not working as shes out sick she should be in receipt of
€188
€29.80 OPFP
€94 1/2 rate Illness benefit
_____________
€311.80

If she has no other income and she has stayed within the rent limits, then her contribution towards her rent would be €24. Maybe if eastbono or someone is around they could confirm this.

That is her exact income, and she is within the rent limits.

mikemac

gebbel wrote: »

She has just rented an apartment for €600 per month (the max threshold permitted in her area) and has been notified that she will €24 per week in rent allowance. So renting will cost her €126 per week.

You seem very certain about it but maybe she gave you the incorrect figures. Must be the other way around

Most likely she makes a contribution of €24 per week

With all the different schemes, easy for her to make a mistake

gebbel

mikemac wrote: »

gebbel wrote: »

She has just rented an apartment for €600 per month (the max threshold permitted in her area) and has been notified that she will €24 per week in rent allowance. So renting will cost her €126 per week.

You seem very certain about it but maybe she gave you the incorrect figures. Must be the other way around

Most likely she makes a contribution of €24 per week

With all the different schemes, easy for her to make a mistake

She gave me the correct figures and is very clear that the CWO told her she would receive €24 per week.

annacanna

yes its right.
when she comes off illness benefit she will get full rent allowance.

she is entilted to half rate illness benefit while on one parent family allowance untill her stamps run out, i think you have the figures wrong one parent family allowance is 217.80 and her illness benefit would be 94 euro and that 94 euro is taken off the rent allowance awarded (311.80 a week)

ive being in this situation so i know this is right

maryk123

anything over the lone parent rate awarded by social welfare eg her illness benefit will be taken off her rent allowance and on top of that the 26 euro contribution

so 94 plus 26 = 120 ands thats taken off the rent allowance.

when her illness benefit is stopped the rent allowance will go back up.

mrsbyrne

annacanna wrote: »

yes its right.
when she comes off illness benefit she will get full rent allowance.

she is entilted to half rate illness benefit while on one parent family allowance untill her stamps run out, i think you have the figures wrong one parent family allowance is 217.80 and her illness benefit would be 94 euro and that 94 euro is taken off the rent allowance awarded (311.80 a week)

ive being in this situation so i know this is right

The 1/2 rate Illness Benefit will last a max 12 months. I wonder does the mum know that if she is working a min of 20 hours per week (when she returns to good health) she might also get FIS.

PinkFly

mrsbyrne wrote: »

The 1/2 rate Illness Benefit will last a max 12 months. I wonder does the mum know that if she is working a min of 20 hours per week (when she returns to good health) she might also get FIS.

and working 20 hours a week how does that affect Rent Allowance if claiming One Parent Family after her Illness Benefit runs out??