Irish Rent Supplement Movement

teflojohn10

Hi,

I have been having some difficulty getting Rent Allowance. Sure I am not alone.
I have been treated pretty disgracefully by social services and contrary to there own legislation.

I am looking to put together a movement to stage forms of protest.
I am interested in hearing as many storys as possible from people having these issues getting together and doing something about this ridiculous system.

I will be notifying politicians about all incidents logged here.
I am in the process of starting a website and providing more contact details
I will post them updates here once I asses the level of interest here for this.

Cheers
T

Graces7

could you perhaps tell us more re what your experience is; thank you

teflojohn10

Hi Grace,

My own experience is basically I am a working person most my life, I have no interest in being on Social Welfare or Rent Allowance. However due to the highly volatile jobs on the go these days I have decided I need to get Rent Allowance before I go back to work. On top of this I am turning down interviews every day due to lack of funds. I qualify for Rent Allowance as I am renting privately for some time now but they are insisting on a housing assesment being completed. I have been waiting several months now. I have been to see politicians I have done absolutely everything. I am looking for more instances of working people particularly but any case will be looked at. I think its a grave problem for the country when you have people willing to work unable to get benefits the very small time they need them in life. It is quite simply absurd.
AFAIK there is no useful help for these situations, CWO wont deal with it, Citizens information are very poor with dealing with these things and are pretty laxadazical or however you spell it for my liking.....

Nobody here can help me trust me, I just have to wait for the assesment but im not taking this lying down and I want to do something about this to sort this out as I wouldnt wish this on my worst enemy tbh...

snubbleste

If you have been renting 6 months & your income circumstances have deteriorated, then you can get rent supplement without recourse to being assessed for social housing.
You can appeal your CWO's demand to his supervisor.

The whole rent supplement system is due to shift to the local housing authorities in the next few years anyway

Graces7

teflojohn10 wrote: »

Hi Grace,

My own experience is basically I am a working person most my life, I have no interest in being on Social Welfare or Rent Allowance. However due to the highly volatile jobs on the go these days I have decided I need to get Rent Allowance before I go back to work. On top of this I am turning down interviews every day due to lack of funds. I qualify for Rent Allowance as I am renting privately for some time now but they are insisting on a housing assesment being completed. I have been waiting several months now. I have been to see politicians I have done absolutely everything. I am looking for more instances of working people particularly but any case will be looked at. I think its a grave problem for the country when you have people willing to work unable to get benefits the very small time they need them in life. It is quite simply absurd.
AFAIK there is no useful help for these situations, CWO wont deal with it, Citizens information are very poor with dealing with these things and are pretty laxadazical or however you spell it for my liking.....

Nobody here can help me trust me, I just have to wait for the assesment but im not taking this lying down and I want to do something about this to sort this out as I wouldnt wish this on my worst enemy tbh...

i hear you. i went through this a few years ago in west cork. 7 months had nwaiting. then i happened to meet a complaints officer who told me it is either renting privately 6 months as i had been doing years and on ra or a council list. she told me to contact the cwos supervisor and make a complaint.

i emailed the supervisor; cwo was at the door the following morning and i got the backdated award which proved they knew they were wrong.

find the upline boss.

when i moved to kerry, no such problems

they hate formal complaints

try it!

snubbleste

That's what I said!

teflojohn10

I do not know who to contact, CWO now adays refuse to see people in relation to this.
How do i get in contact with a CWO supervisor? How would I even get these details.

teflojohn10

I do not know who to contact, CWO now adays refuse to see people in relation to this.
How do i get in contact with a CWO supervisor? How would I even get these details.

Im actually so angry about this I want to start this movement anyway. Teach these guys a lesson.
Anyway i qualify for RA but was told that even though I am renting privately for over 6 months and can prove this and i rent with PRTB landlord. Because my Social Welfare is 150 and my rent is 120 they say I have not been renting privately for 6 months as I could not afford to pay my rent. When he told me this I threw my phone accross the road actually...

How can someone tell me I havent been paying what ive been busting my a** to pay and have receipts for.
And he insist on Housing Assesment based on this.

snubbleste

teflojohn10 wrote: »

I do not know who to contact, CWO now adays refuse to see people in relation to this.
How do i get in contact with a CWO supervisor? How would I even get these details.

You telephone the CWO's office and ask for the name of the Superintendent CWO and write them a letter. Alternatively issue a complaint. It will be forwarded to the local office and you will get a response within 15 working days.
Have a read of rent supplement eligibility

teflojohn10

snubbleste wrote: »

You telephone the CWO's office and ask for the name of the Superintendent CWO and write them a letter. Alternatively issue a

Thank you. I do not have credit in my phone but I will be down there at 9 am tomorrow pushing this one.

teflojohn10

still really interested to hear more and possibly more current situations similar to this people are having. I can see there will be interest in this and am starting a site as we speak and will post details.

mp22

As this forum is here to give help and or advice on how to apply for state benefits I trust this thread will do the same.

mrsbyrne

teflojohn10 wrote: »

I do not know who to contact, CWO now adays refuse to see people in relation to this.
How do i get in contact with a CWO supervisor? How would I even get these details.

Teflojohn the law says that to quality on the 6 months renting clause you must have been able to afford the rent when you moved in.
If you were on the dole when you moved in then youcouldn't afford the rent.
Your saying that you could afford the rent but in the same breath your asking for help to pay the rent. Can you see that?
If you were working when you started renting and able to pay your rent and then lost your job/became I'll you would qualify.
I know your upset and if you feel the desicion is wrong, well I presume you got the refusal in writing, that letter told you you had a right to Appeal and where to appeal it too.
If you didn't get the refusal I writing then ask for it in writing.
Alternatively, get on the housing list and take it from there.

teflojohn10

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Teflojohn the law says that to quality on the 6 months renting clause you must have been able to afford the rent when you moved in.
If you were on the dole when you moved in then youcouldn't afford the rent.
Your saying that you could afford the rent but in the same breath your asking for help to pay the rent. Can you see that?
If you were working when you started renting and able to pay your rent and then lost your job/became I'll you would qualify.
I know your upset and if you feel the desicion is wrong, well I presume you got the refusal in writing, that letter told you you had a right to Appeal and where to appeal it too.
If you didn't get the refusal I writing then ask for it in writing.
Alternatively, get on the housing list and take it from there.

1. When I moved in here I was on social welfare. I paid for it through social welfare and had 30 euro spare per week. The point your making is ridiculous. My social welfare is 150 and rent 120 do you see that? I can actually survive on 10 euro a week just eating and sleeping actually.

2. I never received any information in regards to an appeal.

mrsbyrne

teflojohn10 wrote: »

1. When I moved in here I was on social welfare. I paid for it through social welfare and had 30 euro spare per week. The point your making is ridiculous. My social welfare is 150 and rent 120 do you see that? I can actually survive on 10 euro a week just eating and sleeping actually.

2. I never received any information in regards to an appeal.

I'm not making a point. I'm telling you what the law says.
Do you agree that there needs to be some rules around who may or may not get rent supplement or do you think that everybody who looks for it should get it? Surely not? That would really be ridiculous.
Once again you had to be working really to be classed as able to afford the rent.
What is utterly ridiculous is suggesting that out of ,€ 30 you are able to buy
Clothes
Electricity
Food
Fuel
Broadband/phone (your online right now, its not free)
Other incidentals.
Your also supposed to be looking for work if your getting JSA.that costs money.
The CWO is not an idiot.
Just because you demand rent supplement and think you should get it you are discovering otherwise.
I

mrsbyrne

Forgot to ask, if you are managing so well on €30 per week, why do you need rent supplement??
Once again, did you get the refusal in writing?

mp22

Closed until further notice.