Could we afford to move out?

Niamh2389

We earn 188 each a week = 376, approx 1504 plus the odd week we have an extra 50euro from a babysitting job.
looking to rent a house in around 450-550 euro a month
We dont have any car payments or loans
Plus i myself has a disability so im entitled to Electricity Allowance, Bottled Gas Allowance plus The Telephone Allowance.
Would it be tight or do-able?

Techno_Toaster

you should also be entitled to rent allowance but you need to be renting for 6 months before you can apply afaik.

Yes you can do it. My partner and I are on the same ( he works part time, im on JSA) and we manage. Check out your rent limit for your area to see what the max is for rent allowance it can be checked on the citizens info website. The max rent you'd want realistically to be able to survive the first while would be €500. That's €125 a weeks so €62.50 each a week. Your allowances will help just keep bills to a low, shop wisely and as regards bills (internet,sky etc) try keep them to a minimum. If you can survive without them do but if you need one compromise.

Best of luck if you do move out:) any help you need please feel free to pm me. Its wonderful moving out and gaining some independence and you should be well able to manage it financially anyway.

EDIT: Some weeks may be tougher than others if there is a week you have a lot of bills.

amtc

listen I'm sorry but you don't 'earn' anything. from the figures, you get social welfare.

Oh and I'm sure your babysitting job pays tax?!

Niamh2389

Techno_Toaster wrote: »

you should also be entitled to rent allowance but you need to be renting for 6 months before you can apply afaik.

Yes you can do it. My partner and I are on the same ( he works part time, im on JSA) and we manage. Check out your rent limit for your area to see what the max is for rent allowance it can be checked on the citizens info website. The max rent you'd want realistically to be able to survive the first while would be €500. That's €125 a weeks so €62.50 each a week. Your allowances will help just keep bills to a low, shop wisely and as regards bills (internet,sky etc) try keep them to a minimum. If you can survive without them do but if you need one compromise.

Best of luck if you do move out:) any help you need please feel free to pm me. Its wonderful moving out and gaining some independence and you should be well able to manage it financially anyway.

EDIT: Some weeks may be tougher than others if there is a week you have a lot of bills.

Thanks for your answer. i looked up the max rent allowance in my town its 407, plus we found a apartment thats 120 a week so 60 euro each. I think its do-able. plus i have a lot of savings put a side for rougher weeks.

Coriolanus

amtc wrote: »

Oh and I'm sure your babysitting job pays tax?!

There's a personal tax exemption and marginal relief scheme for people whose earnings fall under a certain threshold. Oh, and for tax purposes, social welfare and other payments are all considered "earnings" so for the sake of the issues you've raised, it's perfectly appropriate to refer to them as such.


Anyway, OP, definitely doable. Further to what the others have advised, I'd suggest sitting down and drawing up a real and proper budget, not just some half assed numbers throw down on a napkin.
Remember you'll more than likely be signing a lease, so you need to make sure you have your numbers right and a certain amount of disposable needs to be left over for eventualities, emergencies etc.
Good luck!

Techno_Toaster

Niamh2389 wrote: »

Thanks for your answer. i looked up the max rent allowance in my town its 407, plus we found a apartment thats 120 a week so 60 euro each. I think its do-able. plus i have a lot of savings put a side for rougher weeks.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/supplementary_welfare_schemes/rent_supplement.html#l62fd2

Thats the table there for the rent limits. Just beware if your from carlow the maximum rent limit for a couple with no children is €500 a month. That means if you get a place thats €510 a month you will not receive or be entitled to rent allowance. So just make sure you have your figures right.

From your post i gather your rent will be €480 a month so if the rent allowance limit is €407 you will have to renegotiate rent closer to it. Also apply for the council housing list.

And yes I agree a budget is great even if you do general figures. I have a book where I keep track of what dates bills are due and their rough price. It's a great help.

daltonmd

Niamh2389 wrote: »

We earn 188 each a week = 376, approx 1504 plus the odd week we have an extra 50euro from a babysitting job.
looking to rent a house in around 450-550 euro a month
We dont have any car payments or loans
Plus i myself has a disability so im entitled to Electricity Allowance, Bottled Gas Allowance plus The Telephone Allowance.
Would it be tight or do-able?

If you have been renting privately for at least 6 months then you may qualify for rent allowance, also, you can work to a certain degree, please see here http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/disability_and_illness/disability_allowance.html
"Income from work
You can do rehabilitative work and earn up to €120 per week (after deduction of PRSI, any pension contributions and union dues) without your payment being affected. You must get permission from the Department of Social Protection before you start work.

50% of your earnings between €120 and €350 will not be taken into account in the Disability Allowance means test.

Any earnings over €350 is fully assessed as income in the means test.

More information is available in our document Disability payments and work."


I am not sure of the nature of our disability but this might be worth looking into and see can you formalise our babysitting arrangement - or ask if the people that you do the odd bit for could pay you in groceries or the like - just a thought as you could be leaving yourself open to getting into trouble with the non declared extra income.

Niamh2389

daltonmd wrote: »

I am not sure of the nature of our disability but this might be worth looking into and see can you formalise our babysitting arrangement - or ask if the people that you do the odd bit for could pay you in groceries or the like - just a thought as you could be leaving yourself open to getting into trouble with the non declared extra income.

i myself dont do the babysitting job. its my sister that does that, We just added in all our income to see what monthly income we might have.

QuiteInterestin

I'm not sure if you and your sister would be eligible for rent allowance. As far as I know, you have to have been renting for at least 6 of the previous 12 months and even then, you have to show that your circumstances have changed so that you can no longer afford the rent i.e. you have to have been able to afford it when you moved out but something happened in the mean time so that you no longer can. If your circumstances don't change in the next 6 months, I don't think you would have any grounds for getting rent allowance (but I could be wrong, maybe someone else could clarify? Theres also the State Benefit forum, they might know over there).

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

Getting Rent Supplement
Rent Supplement will only be provided if the accommodation is suitable for your needs and the rent is below the maximum rent level set for your county.

You may get Rent Supplement if you have been living for 6 months (183 days) out of the last 12 months in one, or a combination, of the following:

Accommodation for homeless people.
Private rented accommodation. You can combine time living in more than one rented accommodation to satisfy the 6 months (183 days). You must be able to show that you could afford the rent at the beginning of your tenancy and that you could have continued to pay rent but are unable to do so because of a change in your circumstances which occurred after you started renting.
An institution, for example, a hospital, care home or place of detention.
Or

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.

Though even without rent allowance, it sounds do-able. Would you have to sign a lease if you did take a house? Could you try it for a few months and see how it goes, and if it doesn't work out move back home?

daltonmd

Niamh2389 wrote: »

i myself dont do the babysitting job. its my sister that does that, We just added in all our income to see what monthly income we might have.

Ah, misunderstanding there so!!