nearly homeless, please help, county council question

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I was in receipt of rent suppliment in Dublin for 2 years, There is myself, partner and 2 children.when our lease for the house ended, We decided to move out of the city and move down the country as we could not afford to live in Dublin.

I transferred my jobseekers allowance to kilkenny and canceled my rent supplement in Dublin in order to set up rent supplement for new house.

I went to the health board in kilkenny to speak with officer and bring paperwork for new house. I was informed that I would need to go to kilkenny county council and put my name down on housing list.

I had my meeting with the county council this afternoon and they said I will be refused as I have not paid rent in kilkenny for 6 months.

If I am refused by county council than I will be refused from health board

I am at my wits end and very worried we will be homeless come January.

Can anybody please give me advice, I have searched online and have found nothing of use

Thanks

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can anyone help

katy67

Some people are renting private houses and claiming rent supplement to pay the landlord. Can you do that? l really don't know much about it but try citizens information or get back to social welfare,surely they can help. l hope you can get sorted. Good luck

www.citizensinformation.ie

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katy67 wrote: »

Some people are renting private houses and claiming rent supplement to pay the landlord. Can you do that? l really don't know much about it but try citizens information or get back to social welfare,surely they can help. l hope you can get sorted. Good luck

www.citizensinformation.ie

Thanks so much for comment, I was renting a private house in dublin for the past 2 years and the rent supplement paid the landlord.

I moved to kilkenny a few weeks ago, but the council stated that I cannot just move from dublin to kilkenny as I have not been renting in kilkenny for the past 6 months,

I thought I could move house and re apply for rent allowence but the council here wont put me on the housing list, the CWO wont set me up on rent allowence as the council refused me.

I'm so so confused

ShaShaBear

You have to be renting in the county in question for 6 months before you can be considered for either rent allowance or the council housing list. Unfortunately, they are right to refuse you, you rented in Dublin for 2 years, but have not rented in Kilkenny. You would need to find a place and rent it on the strength of your own back for the next 6 months, and then you can apply for a council house/RA

pl4ichjgy17zwd

The only way is to try to talk to the council and try to get them to put you on the list under exceptional circumstances, I was put on it without renting for six months but I had just turned 18 and had social workers etc saying I couldn't live with family - the council lady said their standard response is to tell (single people at least) to go down that route.

Maybe if you can prove you'd really have absolutely nowhere to go, a family, young kids, etc they might put you on the list, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Best of luck OP, hope it works out for you.

Slydice

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/SupplementaryWelfareAllowance/Pages/RentSupplement.aspx
says:

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).

Or

Have been assessed by a local authority as being eligible for and in need of social housing in the last 12 months.

So, I'd say it'd be a good idea to go back to the CWO and let them know that you couldn't get on the housing list cos yer not in the county six months yet.

Then show them proof of "living for 6 months (183 days) out of the last 12 months" in Private rented accommodation.

It reads to me that you qualify for rent allowance under that.

ResearchWill

like like like wrote: »

I was in receipt of rent suppliment in Dublin for 2 years, There is myself, partner and 2 children.when our lease for the house ended, We decided to move out of the city and move down the country as we could not afford to live in Dublin.

I transferred my jobseekers allowance to kilkenny and canceled my rent supplement in Dublin in order to set up rent supplement for new house.

I went to the health board in kilkenny to speak with officer and bring paperwork for new house. I was informed that I would need to go to kilkenny county council and put my name down on housing list.

I had my meeting with the county council this afternoon and they said I will be refused as I have not paid rent in kilkenny for 6 months.

If I am refused by county council than I will be refused from health board

I am at my wits end and very worried we will be homeless come January.

Can anybody please give me advice, I have searched online and have found nothing of use

Thanks

Appeal the council refusal, get advice from Citizens Advice centre or FLAC. You need to find out the exact rules and the basis for them. You need to satisfy the rules, show reason for move, (easier to get job, family live in the area, easier access to education).

Also if you read welfares own rules

"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."

You clearly satisfy the first in that you have been living in rented accommodation for 6 months out of previous 12, there is nothing on their website saying that rental must be in the same county. So go back to SWO and request they give a determination. If they refuse appeal.

burgermasters

like like like wrote: »

Thanks so much for comment, I was renting a private house in dublin for the past 2 years and the rent supplement paid the landlord.

I moved to kilkenny a few weeks ago, but the council stated that I cannot just move from dublin to kilkenny as I have not been renting in kilkenny for the past 6 months,

I thought I could move house and re apply for rent allowence but the council here wont put me on the housing list, the CWO wont set me up on rent allowence as the council refused me.

I'm so so confused

The council can not refuse you on matter what they say! Appeal it, you have a constitutional right to be housed if they refuse you then they are in breach of your constitutional rights make sure to tell them this as if they think you don't know they will just fob you off! I know what i am talking about as i have experience with this, you can put yourself on every council list sound the country if you wish and there is nothing they can do or pay about it. Hope it works out for you.

ResearchWill

burgermasters wrote: »

The council can not refuse you on matter what they say! Appeal it, you have a constitutional right to be housed if they refuse you then they are in breach of your constitutional rights make sure to tell them this as if they think you don't know they will just fob you off! I know what i am talking about as i have experience with this, you can put yourself on every council list sound the country if you wish and there is nothing they can do or pay about it. Hope it works out for you.

I agree the OP has a good appeal, I am not aware of a Constitutional Right to be housed, can you point to the Article that contains that right or the case that vindicated it.

stateofflux

the advice on the thread is very good OP, but don't forget you have the option of going to your local TD and asking for advice and going to the press as a last resort. i have never heard of a mother and two kids being made homeless (i do work in this area)...so don't worry about that

mikemac1

You are in Kilkenny, go to Phil Hogan

He has a reputation for writing letters to the council about housing families

wmpdd3

^^^ Jest?
Funny you should mention the case above as certain minoritys would not be able to fulfill the conditions omentioned above but are housed anyway, so there are mitigating cercumstanses!

Try a TD if you can or the citizens information but keep a note of everyone you speak to, always have a folder and pen on you when you attend any office. This is all invaluable when you need to appeal.