Eligibility for rent allowance-living at home

MilkTheGroup

Hi I am 25 and currently living in my mothers house with other family members. I have been living at home since I finished college in 2010. I am currently on Jobseekers Allowance. I realise the only way I can get rent allowance is by having a housing needs assessment done (I can't qualify through the 6 month private rental rule as ive been living at home).

My question is-how bad does your situation have to be in order to pass the threshold needed to get rent allowance?? Everyone in my house has their own bedroom and there is no problem with facilities. I just want to move out as I feel its unfair to my mother to have me still living here at my age. I realise it will be even harder for me financially when I move out but I still want to.

Immaculata

In my opinion, it is unlikely that you will be eligible for rent allowance in your situation. You haven't been living in private rented accommodation for at least six months and you are suitably housed.

It used to be that you could apply for rent allowance simply on the grounds you mention (wanting to live independently, wanting to be fair to your mother - both of which are to your credit, of course!) but since the recession, the criteria have become much stricter. I realise that it's a difficult situation to be in, but on the other hand, although I am no fan of the government, you can see why they wouldn't be too willing to spend the cash on your rent bill simply because you're 25 and still living at home. No offence intended, but you don't really have a housing need as such because your mother is putting you up, you aren't overcrowded, or in any other bad sitation (violence, house falling down, etc) and you aren't in danger of homelessness.

I suggest you fill out a housing list application (i.e. housing needs assessment) a.s.a.p. anyway though, and get on the housing list. Then - although it may well be years - at least you will at some point have the option of a council flat, hopefully. Assuming you don't get a job or have another circumstance, good or bad, change in the meantime.

sligoface

not sure where in the country you are living but in many areas finding a place within the rental limits in place for rent allowance is a big hurdle in addition to all the other hassle. Hasn't been mentioned in this thread yet but it's a very important bit of info that you need to know (scroll down to maximum rent limits for each county)http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/supplementary_welfare_schemes/rent_supplement.html
So for example, if i wanted to receive rent allowance where I am (Sligo), I would have to either find a place in shared accommodation with a rent of no more than 195 per month (45 per week) OR rent somewhere on my own for 340 per month. A quick search on daft will show that there is a grand total of 1 room available in sharing under 195 per month (160 p/mth., sharing with 3 others, which is only accepting females), and obviously zero flats for 340 that can be rented out by a single person in Sligo. Most accommodation that is even close to those limits is not going to be anywhere near town and you could only live there if you had and could afford to run a car.
So as of now, as I'm not female, if I applied for rent allowance and qualified, ie: I am assessed as having a housing need, there would be nowhere within the limits that I could live! Even if I eventually did manage to find a place for 45 per week sharing with others, (which would most likely be a kip, sharing with students) I would have to contribute 30, so all i would be getting towards the rent would be 15 euro.

It's just a backdoor cut by the government, Joan Burton has clearly stated when she took her post she wanted to stop having the gov. pay landlords. They also had some misguided notions about tenants 'negotiating' their rents with landlords (because all landlords have a heart of gold, obviously, and none of them are paying out big mortgages on properties they rent, surely they'll give us poor souls a break, lol)

So in the end, many will do what I decided to do - pay all of my rent out of my dole. I split a house that is 500 p/month so I pay 250 per month (approx 60 p/w). It's very tough at times, such as when a big ESB or oil bill needs paying (I won't even mention the dentist!), but I manage, barely. It wouldn't be too bad if I thought there was hope of a full time job here any time soon (but that's for a different thread).

If you really want to move out, you will probably have to do something similar. You won't have loads of money left over after paying rent and bills but you should be able to manage, depending on rates of rent in your area and if you are getting full 188 dole which you should be as you are 25. You might want to wait until after the winter though, heating a house in Ireland really costs a fortune, and that will give you time to save up for security deposit, etc. It might be worth it to have your independence (it is for me), and if you have friends who you could share a place with it could be really great. The more in the house means less space for everyone but bills are cheaper obviously. You could try it and see, you might think it is worth it or you might not like it at all, esp. if you have to live with strangers and are essentially just helping pay off someone else's mortgage, without much left for yourself. Then you might not be happy. In which case, I'm assuming your room at home would always be available.

Equality

Apply for some form of education or training which is not geographically close to your mother's house. (You may have to wait until next September). You will then have a housing need in the new location.

You should also have a housing assessment done where you currently live, because you may get put on the housing list (with no possibility of getting a house, as you are single). However, there is an advantage to this, which is that if you later had a family, all time spent on the housing list as a single person would be counted.

In other words, go on the housing list at 18. Then if you have a baby/get married five years later, you have been on the housing list five years, add in the baby and/or husband, and you are at the top of the housing list.

SuperInfinity

MilkTheGroup wrote: »

My question is-how bad does your situation have to be in order to pass the threshold needed to get rent allowance?? Everyone in my house has their own bedroom and there is no problem with facilities. I just want to move out as I feel its unfair to my mother to have me still living here at my age. I realise it will be even harder for me financially when I move out but I still want to.

What do you mean "at my age"? If there's "no problem with facilities" and you don't get in the way, she hasn't suggested/implied for you to leave, then I don't see how it's unfair to her. If you want to move out for yourself, to be independent etc. despite financial difficulties then go ahead, don't say it's partly for your mom if it's not.