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Advised to go on housing list to be approved for rent allowance

  • 22-11-2012 2:28pm
    #1
    SMI
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 173 ✭✭


    Hi,

    I recently moved into a house that I share with the Landlord, this morning I applied for rent allowance.

    I thought that I would fulfil the requirements needed to be granted the allowance as I had been renting in a different property for the first 6 months of the year.
    I then moved back in with my parents from June to the end of September and have been in the new accom. since October.

    The impression I got from the person in the health centre was that I probably would not get approved after completing her interview.

    The previous property I rented was for only €50 a month, I was a 'guardian'
    for Camelot Properties in a distressed estate that they were hired to look after.

    I think that may count against me when it comes to assessing if my 'circumstances had significantly changed' from when I opted to start renting again. The new rent is €220 a month.

    I'm on Job Seekers Allowance and I'm trying to get work as a freelance videographer. I had anticipated more work when I decided to move from my family home, I have correspondence to back that up, but unfortunately most of the proposed projects did not bear fruit. I mentioned that to the assessor however I did not have copies of the correspondence with me nor did she ask for me to send them on to her.
    I have a feeling that they will not see the above scenario as justification for rent allowance, especially since they have no paper evidence to give them the impression that I should have had an adequate amount of work when I moved in to afford the place in the medium/long term.

    The assessor strongly urged me to get onto Limerick County Council to be assessed for the Housing list, if approved I would have no issue getting rent allowance.
    If I was on the housing list, does anyone know how likely it would be for the department to offer a single person like myself a housing option in the Limerick County area?

    At the moment my set up is ideal for me, I work from home and have a large workstation(Dual monitor set-up, multiple hard drives, other camera+editing equipment..) that I have in large bedroom.
    It is in a quite and safe area.
    I would be concerned that if I was offered a place somewhere else, it may not be the most suitable place to work from, nor the safest for my equipment which is worth a fair amount.

    Any advice on wether to keep away from the housing list, or should I apply in the likelihood that if I was approved I would be safe enough receiving rent allowance at my current location in the medium term?
    Thanks, apologies for the long-windedness!


Comments

  • #2
    Pomplamousse
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 582 ✭✭✭Pomplamousse


    I was on Jobseekers Allowance this year and when I applied for rent allowance I was told I would have to go on the housing list before I could be approved for rent allowance. I didn't bother in the end though because before I even had a chance to apply, I got a phone call saying my rent allowance was approved.


  • #3
    mp22
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 6,854 Mod ✭✭✭✭mp22


    If you fill in the forms for local authority housing and are deemed as in need of housing it could (and probably will be years)before you would be offered a house.Anecdotal evidence suggests that being on the housing list wont do your claim for rent allowance any harm.


  • #4
    SMI
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 173 ✭✭SMI


    Pomplamousse wrote: »
    I was on Jobseekers Allowance this year and when I applied for rent allowance I was told I would have to go on the housing list before I could be approved for rent allowance. I didn't bother in the end though because before I even had a chance to apply, I got a phone call saying my rent allowance was approved.
    mp22 wrote: »
    If you fill in the forms for local authority housing and are deemed as in need of housing it could (and probably will be years)before you would be offered a house.Anecdotal evidence suggests that being on the housing list wont do your claim for rent allowance any harm.

    Thanks, I ended up talking to a former tenant of the house I'm in now.
    He was in similar circumstances to me and went on the housing list to get approval for the rent allowance. He also said that there would be little or no chance of getting offered a house as a single male, which put my mind at ease.
    Seems that you are also entitled to refuse one offer of accommodation in a 12 month period without your rent allowance being taken away.
    Think I'll go ahead with it, might get lucky in the mean time and get approved anyway.


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