Rent Allowance Question

KnowYourEnemy

Back in January I moved out of the family home and got approved for rent allowance, receiving approximately €230 per month off my rent. However, due to unforeseen circumstances I had to move back home after a month and I requested my rent allowance payment be cancelled.

Now I am planning on moving into the house my girlfriend and her friend are renting (they're paying 1500 per month).

Just wondering if I an still entitled to re-apply if we plan splitting the 1500 three ways?

Thanks for any help

karen234

No you wouldn't.It depends on where you're living but the limit for shared accomodation is way below that.

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

KnowYourEnemy

Thanks for your reply Karen.

It's in Dublin City Centre so according to that table a single person in shared accomadation would recieve a maximum of 300 euro per month.

I'm guessing I wouldn't be entitled to the entire 300?

karen234

No problem.No you wouldn't be entitled to anything.300 is the maximum rent per month you can be paying to qualify for rent allowance.Even if your rent was only 300, you would then only get around 40 euro a week in rent allowance.

KnowYourEnemy

karen234 wrote: »

No problem.No you wouldn't be entitled to anything.300 is the maximum rent per month you can be paying to qualify for rent allowance.Even if your rent was only 300, you would then only get around 40 euro a week in rent allowance.

Ahh I see. So if I was to find somewhere that cheap sharing, would I still be entitled to 40 euro a week/160 a month off it?

karen234

Ya.If you found somewhere that was 300 euro a month or less you would get around 40.In my last place I was getting 39.40 a week.
If you're paying more than that you wouldn't get anything.I don't know why.It should be your own business if you want to pay extra for a nice place.Finding a good house for less than 300 where the landlord accepts rent allowance is a nightmare.

edellc

The reason they dont allow you to add to the rent is because that is what keeps rentals high and prices those of us that simply can not afford to add extra to rent out of the rental market and into diabolical rental conditions which Landlords dont have to improve due to the likes of you being able to top up their rent allowance

Laws need to be put in place as to the standard of rental accommodation, as even those getting 300euro a month in rent is enough to sort a place out so as not to be leasing a kip

they cant have a rule in place and for it not to be obeyed, if that was the case then civilised society as we know it wouldn't be civilised nor would it be a society, so although you seem only concerned about yourself, the social welfare system is about the bigger picture and if you can afford to add extra to your rent then the question is should you actually be entitled to rent supplement in the first place

karen234

Woah.Sorry.I hadn't thought of it like that.I understand where you're coming from, even though you came quite aggressively.
I am no better off than anyone on social welfare.I simply meant that I wouldn't mind doing without a few things for the sake of a nicer place to live than the usual dirty, damp and sometimes rodent infested places that you will find for under the limit.

edellc

didnt mean to come across as aggressive, havent been on ra long and when you have a young family, find yourself unemployed and financially struggling and then time and time again on boards ppl talk about ra as if your scum and then other talk about topping up rents to get better places, and when you walk the tightrope between hanging on by your fingers nails and falling off into homelessness its very hard to keep a level head when you read such things, not everything is black and white and not everyone chooses to be in the position they find themselves in and topping up rents is just not an option.

So sorry about the aggression didnt meant to do that just one of those days with everyone knocking looking or money that i just dont have

peace and love and apologies

karen234

No worries.I understand.I guess my view was fairly short sighted as I don't have anyone else to feed or look after.I'm sorry if I sounded selfish.I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling.I hope things improve for you soon.

Graces7

edellc wrote: »

didnt mean to come across as aggressive, havent been on ra long and when you have a young family, find yourself unemployed and financially struggling and then time and time again on boards ppl talk about ra as if your scum and then other talk about topping up rents to get better places, and when you walk the tightrope between hanging on by your fingers nails and falling off into homelessness its very hard to keep a level head when you read such things, not everything is black and white and not everyone chooses to be in the position they find themselves in and topping up rents is just not an option.

So sorry about the aggression didnt meant to do that just one of those days with everyone knocking looking or money that i just dont have

peace and love and apologies

I feel for you greatly. As you may know, we here have had a struggle on this also; now I am fighting to try to get this place sorted without the ll saying out.

This house was empty years and he would never get another tenant the state it is in/

Rodents we can cope with...

It was seeing the palaces he and his family have built for each of them that did it for me. Just mean and the double standards that you see so often.

Taking a risk this month as we have withheld rent to recoup the money from his electiric fences he runs off our bill, and to get paint etc.

RA is a blessing .. but I am old and my needs do not compare with yours with a family to raise.

Stay strong; always here for you.

Blessings and peace