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Can anyone help or advise us?

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  • 11-04-2014 12:22am
    #1
    Aaron.F
    Registered Users Posts: 4 ✭


    Hello,
    My girlfriend and I are currently pretty much homeless. We are 21 years of age in Kildare and our landlord told us to leave at the end of our lease so he could get a family in and he didn't give much notice to us. We are now currently house hopping from family members houses to friends houses, sleeping on couches because there isn't a room for us.
    We are both currently on social welfare payments, I am on Disability Allowance and my partner is currently on jobseekers allowance so we find it hard to save money for a new deposit and month up front while trying to feed ourselves and also giving money to the people we're staying with.
    We were just wondering could anybody advise us on what we could do ??? We have 200 euro saved and that was a hard task to do. it would take us a long time to get 1000 euro up that most property agents and private renter's are looking for but also we can't keep moving from place to place every few days. We'll eventually run out of options.
    Does anybody know if the Kildare County Council could help us or if the social welfare could help with a deposit and a month up front ??? We are literally threading on a thin rope and we need help or answers because every place we ring for advice or help are being very vague and keep giving us different phone numbers to ring :confused::confused::confused:
    Any help would be appreciated
    Thank you.



    Also please no smart replies saying get a job please as I'm physically not able to work due to a serious injury to my left leg and skull, hence why I'm on disability allowance, and also my girlfriend is on Jobseekers Allowance until her carer's allowance gets accepted to care for me. Thank you :)
    Tagged:


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    #2
    Moonbeam
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,953 Mod ✭✭✭✭Moonbeam


    Are you not going to get a deposit back from the previous landlord?
    I think you need to go talk to your local community welfare officer and see if they can help you.


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    #3
    Aaron.F
    Registered Users Posts: 4 ✭Aaron.F


    Moonbeam wrote: »
    Are you not going to get a deposit back from the previous landlord?
    I think you need to go talk to your local community welfare officer and see if they can help you.

    We didn't pay a deposit as we were sharing with someone who had already paid a deposit when he moved in 3 years before we had moved in. So we just paid a month up front.
    We are in a very sticky situation :(


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    #4
    Rachiee
    Registered Users Posts: 880 ✭✭✭Rachiee


    Does social welfare know you as a couple? If not you will need to do this first.
    Go to the county council register as homeless. Get a letter from council saying you are on the list but they can't accommodate you. This entitles you to rent allowance.
    You will need to get a landlord willing to take you on to fill out the rent allowance form.take this form and the letter from the council to the c.w.o. In the area the potential rented property is in.
    You should be entitled to a deposit...here's the problem...you don't get it upfront , unless you have an amazing CWO!!
    All the forms will be sent to the centralised unit in Finglas it can take up to 8 weeks for the approval to go through and then the rent and deposit is backdated.
    Its a bit of a catch 22, you can't apply without a landlord and address, but seriously what landlord is going to agree to take you knowing he may not be paid for two months.
    Its a bit of a nightmare but it can work out its just getting more and more difficult. Either way
    1. Register as a couple with the welfare
    2. Register as homeless with the council
    3. Get letter from Council stating you are on the list.
    4. Get landlord who takes rent allowance to fill out rent supplement form.
    5. Take letter and form to CWO.

    If you can get a loan off family where you can at least give the landlord a deposit upfront it will increase your chances of a landlord taking you on.

    Generally you need to have a rental history of six months or have been homeless six months before you are entitled to rent allowance so talk to the council about what your best option is.


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    #5
    the groutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,096 ✭✭✭✭the groutch


    Aaron.F wrote: »
    Hello,
    My girlfriend and I are currently pretty much homeless. We are 21 years of age in Kildare and our landlord told us to leave at the end of our lease so he could get a family in and he didn't give much notice to us.

    afaik there are minimum notice periods, usually a minimum of 28 days, and has to be served in writing.
    so don't let the landlord leave you on the streets with a few days notice.


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    #6
    Michael D Not Higgins
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 7,223 Mod ✭✭✭✭Michael D Not Higgins


    the groutch wrote: »
    afaik there are minimum notice periods, usually a minimum of 28 days, and has to be served in writing.
    so don't let the landlord leave you on the streets with a few days notice.

    Unfortunately it's a bit late for that now. The fact that they moved out already could be seen as a mutual agreement to shorter notice.

    It is worth knowing your rights when renting. That landlord did not fulfil his obligations, assuming OP was renting for at least 6 months and was not given the proper notice as per their Part 4 rights.


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    #7
    Aaron.F
    Registered Users Posts: 4 ✭Aaron.F


    Thanks for the reply guys.
    We will definately be reading into our rights before renting again. I was speaking to a woman in the social welfare office in Newbridge here in Kildare and we explained our situation to her. She gave me the number for the rent suppliment unit for our area and she said she's nearly certain they can help us. So fingers crossed when I phone them.


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    #8
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,726 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    You need to go to the council offices. Stop mucking around with phone calls.

    Also, where are your family in all of this. Surely they should be helping you.


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    #9
    Aaron.F
    Registered Users Posts: 4 ✭Aaron.F


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    You need to go to the council offices. Stop mucking around with phone calls.

    Also, where are your family in all of this. Surely they should be helping you.

    Our family have a policy which is when we moved out were out for good. very strict and old fashioned. have a meeting with the council on monday but were afraid that our welfare will be cut if we have not got an address. can anybody shine a light on that for us ???
    thanks


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    #10
    fussyonion
    Registered Users Posts: 7,818 ✭✭✭fussyonion


    Aaron.F wrote: »
    Our family have a policy which is when we moved out were out for good. very strict and old fashioned. have a meeting with the council on monday but were afraid that our welfare will be cut if we have not got an address. can anybody shine a light on that for us ???
    thanks

    You do need to have an address to claim a benefit.


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    #11
    sparkling sea
    Registered Users Posts: 1,410 ✭✭✭sparkling sea


    You really do need to apply for local authority housing ASAP.

    Once you've been approved you can contact housing agencies like Respond, Cluid, etc. You can look at their websites to see what and if they have any available properties.

    As you are a couple you are unlikely to be entitled to 2 full payments, its more likely it will be either JA or DA personal rate for the person applying and a qualified adult rate for the partner.

    You can apply for Rent Allowance and Fuel Allowance

    Once you have been in receipt of a long term payment for more than 156 day you may qualify for other secondary benefits eg. Household Benefits Package for persons on Disability Allowance - permanent address is needed.

    You should contact you local Citizens Information Centre, they can give you all this information and contact details


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    #12
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,726 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Aaron.F wrote: »
    Our family have a policy which is when we moved out were out for good. very strict and old fashioned. have a meeting with the council on monday but were afraid that our welfare will be cut if we have not got an address. can anybody shine a light on that for us ???
    thanks


    Sorry, but that doesnt sound like an old fashioned irish attitude to me. Maybe visit their parish priest and ask him to speak to them.


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    #13
    riclad
    Registered Users Posts: 8,184 ✭✭✭riclad


    YOU can get advice from threshold,
    or crosscare,
    http://www.crosscare.ie/homeless/


    http://www.threshold.ie/

    go to your local council housing office,
    fill in form to get on the housing list.
    then
    get 2 rent allowance application forms,

    my friend is on disability,allowance.
    council gave her priority re getting a council flat ,
    even got her one on the ground floor of the building.
    She is very happy there , shops are just down the road from her.

    the welfare oficer may help you with the deposit.


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    #14
    hellboy99
    Registered Users Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭hellboy99


    sparkling sea wrote: »
    Once you've been approved you can contact housing agencies like Respond, Cluid, etc. You can look at their websites to see what and if they have any available properties.

    Stay well clear of Respond if you can. I'm currently living in one of there estates and they are by far the worst housing agency there is.

    Rents are very high, if you have any maintenance issues you could be years waiting to have them addressed and even when they are the repair work isn't up to scratch a lot of the time, if you have any anti-social behaviour issues on their estates they don't want to help... they are just useless, all they are good at is collecting rents!


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    #15
    homeOwner
    Closed Accounts Posts: 779 ✭✭✭homeOwner


    I am sorry I don't have any advice. I wish you well. I heave heard there are local social welfare staff who can give emergency funding to people in dire need. Maybe your community welfare office can help you. I hope you get sorted.


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    #16
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,726 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    hellboy99 wrote: »
    Stay well clear of Respond if you can. I'm currently living in one of there estates and they are by far the worst housing agency there is.

    Rents are very high, if you have any maintenance issues you could be years waiting to have them addressed and even when they are the repair work isn't up to scratch a lot of the time, if you have any anti-social behaviour issues on their estates they don't want to help... they are just useless, all they are good at is collecting rents!

    I cannot comment on Respond's repairs policy and practices - but I've heard comments like your make about all types of landlords.

    But like all the housing associations, Respond's rents may be based on either:
    • Your income, and calculated using the same rules that apply for any council tenancy OR
    • Market rate.

    Which one applies depends on how they got the money to buy the house in the first place. So yes, this is one thing that you need to check out with they - but generally the associations are up-front about telling you which sort of rent applies.

    ref: http://www.respond.ie/resident-services/rent/


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    #17
    hellboy99
    Registered Users Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭hellboy99


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    I cannot comment on Respond's repairs policy and practices - but I've heard comments like your make about all types of landlords.

    But like all the housing associations, Respond's rents may be based on either:
    • Your income, and calculated using the same rules that apply for any council tenancy OR
    • Market rate.

    Which one applies depends on how they got the money to buy the house in the first place. So yes, this is one thing that you need to check out with they - but generally the associations are up-front about telling you which sort of rent applies.

    ref: http://www.respond.ie/resident-services/rent/
    Up-front isn't something they do :mad:


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