Rent Allowance or RAS entitlements when on FIS

Tubberadora

Im working on a low wage sharing a house with a friend. My girlfriend is pregnant. She is on social welfare and is living in a one bed flat at the moment. She is in receipt of rent allowance.
We want to move in together but are wondering about our entitlements. My net pay is €336 per week. I know that on the FIS scheme I could claim €102 per week. That gives a total income of €436 per week.
Looking at places in our area you are talking €600 per month for anything decent. Can we claim anything to help with the rent.
By my calculations we are better off living separately but that is not what we want to do.

mp22

Employment and Rent Supplement

You will not qualify for Rent Supplement if you are in full-time employment (30 hours or more a week). (In the case of couples, if one of a couple is in full time employment, both are excluded from claiming Rent Supplement).



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

Tubberadora

How about the RAS scheme? Its a funny situation that we are in. I pay €50 a week rent for my room. She would be entitled to €217 for herself and the child plus out of which she only pays €35 rent. So currently we have in theory €553 between us and €85 comes out for rent.
By moving in together the rent doubles and our joint income is reduced by €117 per week.

wmpdd3

You can apply to the local CC to be put in the council waiting list for a house, then you may be moved to the RAS scheme but its more a case that you are not earning when you are put on RAS and if you do end up working full time afterwards,then they will take a percentage of your wage as opposed to the contribution.

Apply for a council house anyway.

rigu

mp22 wrote: »

Employment and Rent Supplement

You will not qualify for Rent Supplement if you are in full-time employment (30 hours or more a week). (In the case of couples, if one of a couple is in full time employment, both are excluded from claiming Rent Supplement).



can you claim rent allowance if working only 20 hours per week and do I have to register with local social welfare office? or I can claim -apply for rent supplement directly? thanks for that

mp22

Rent allowance is means tested,claim away you might get some help.

rigu

mp22 wrote: »

Rent allowance is means tested,claim away you might get some help.

can I actually apply for it without being on any social welfare????

mrsbyrne

rigu wrote: »

can I actually apply for it without being on any social welfare????

No.