Rent allowance reduced no explanation

lostandbroke

I'm hoping someone can help me understand why my rent allowance payment has been reduced, I've been receiving it for slightly over a year, no change of circumstances until last month when I received my letter to return to college (Up to this I've been workin part time and receiving opf) I informed my rent section, Clondalkin, of this change and received a phone call from a woman who was less than pleased to hear that I was returning to college on a full time basis and leaving my part time work, I cannot work and attend college as I am raising my daughter alone/no maintenance. Since that particular phone call my rent has been reduced by nearly €400 with no letter or phone call stating why! I have tried to ring them but only get a voicemail and they don't operate out of an office anymore, only information available on them is a phone number, email and p.o. box for mail. I was just wondering if anyone had any idea of what to do next because without help with my rent myself and my daughter will be made homeless!!
Thank you.

The_Morrigan

You have to call down to that office if you want to get an answer - they don't answer the phones.

lostandbroke

The_Morrigan wrote: »

You have to call down to that office if you want to get an answer - they don't answer the phones.

They dont have an office anymore, they used to be in Deansrath health centre but last year they moved to a p.o box. They don't actually deal with the public face to face anymore?

The_Morrigan

Who are you dealing with the HSE or the Dept of Social Welfare?

mrsbyrne

The_Morrigan wrote: »

Who are you dealing with the HSE or the Dept of Social Welfare?

The HSE stopped their involvement with Rent Supplement nearly 5 years ago.
OP you will habe to go to your local DSP office to find out how you can contact the CWO or his her superior.

lostandbroke

The_Morrigan wrote: »

Who are you dealing with the HSE or the Dept of Social Welfare?

It's the rent section of the social welfare, rent allowance. The social welfare office in clondalkin has no dealings with it though, they never did. Rents always had their own office, take a ticket and wait, until last year when they moved to a p.o. box/phone number. I've left voicemails but no reply, I could write in but my full rent is due next week and let's be honest I know I won't get a quick reply that way.
I've informed my landlord and he's given me 2 weeks to get it up but we're more both more concerned about the sudden drop in my payment, lack of correspondence from them and if they will reinstate my previous payment as that's the only way I can afford to live here and the only way he can allow me to stay.

The_Morrigan

mrsbyrne wrote: »

The HSE stopped their involvement with Rent Supplement nearly 5 years ago.

That was kinda my point -and the only other social welfare office in Clondalkin don't answer their phones so you have to call into them if you want anything answered.

lostandbroke

mrsbyrne wrote: »

The HSE stopped their involvement with Rent Supplement nearly 5 years ago.
OP you will habe to go yo your

Do you mean one parent family section? They don't deal with rents, was there on Wednesday?

lostandbroke

The_Morrigan wrote: »

That was kinda my point -and the only other social welfare office in Clondalkin don't answer their phones so you have to call into them if you want anything answered.

I went to the social welfare office on Wednesday, they have no dealings with rents, they just provided the same phone number and p.o box details as online as there is no allocated office anymore.. It's looking like I'm stumped until they decide to call back

lostandbroke

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Your local DSP office deal with more than OPFP. They might not deal with rents but they should be able to tell you how to contact someone who does.

They did but the problem is its not exactly "someone" it's a voicemail and a postal address. There doesn't seem to be any way of face to face communication with the clondalkin rents section anymore

Mr McBoatface

You'll need to ring the central rent unit for your area - http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Central-Rents-Units.aspx

If you can't get through to them, go to a local TD.

lostandbroke

If you can't get through to them, go to a local TD.[/quote]

Yeah they're the numbers I've been trying, always goes to voicemail. Think TD is my only option left by the looks of things, was hoping to get it sorted myself and not involve anyone else. Seems extremely unfair to reduce something without any correspondence or notification of it happening and also that you cannot physically sit down and talk to someone, seems to be nothing but closed doors.
Thanks

mrsbyrne

lostandbroke wrote: »

If you can't get through to them, go to a local TD.

Yeah they're the numbers I've been trying, always goes to voicemail. Think TD is my only option left by the looks of things, was hoping to get it sorted myself and not involve anyone else. Seems extremely unfair to reduce something without any correspondence or notification of it happening and also that you cannot physically sit down and talk to someone, seems to be nothing but closed doors.
Thanks[/quote]

How did you contact them to tell them of your change circumstances?! If they gave you a POBox can you not write them?

fussyonion

What can a TD do?
Laws and regulations don't change just because you've contacted a TD.
Believe me, I know.

ttsnar

To receive rent allowance while attending college you have to change from one parent family allowance to Back to Education. You will receive the same rate of welfare payment. Call to your local office to apply to transfer payment.

lostandbroke

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Yeah they're the numbers I've been trying, always goes to voicemail. Think TD is my only option left by the looks of things, was hoping to get it sorted myself and not involve anyone else. Seems extremely unfair to reduce something without any correspondence or notification of it happening and also that you cannot physically sit down and talk to someone, seems to be nothing but closed doors.
Thanks

How did you contact them to tell them of your change circumstances?! If they gave you a POBox can you not write them?[/quote]

I did write to them that time with a copy of my college acceptance and received a phone call from a blocked number after that but it took a few weeks for them to reply to me, this time I need a quicker reply because my rent can't be paid and landlord can't extended payment more than 2 weeks, I haven got a few weeks to wait so was hoping there was a way to get seen to quicker.

I was thinking that myself about a TD but how else will I get sorted?

lostandbroke

ttsnar wrote: »

To receive rent allowance while attending college you have to change from one parent family allowance to Back to Education. You will receive the same rate of welfare payment. Call to your local office to apply to transfer payment.

I understand all that part but at the moment my major problem is my rent, which is due, has been reduced by €400 without prior notice and I can't seem to get anyone to help me through the numbers because my local office has no public relations