Social Housing Support

rsole1

I am a single man on JSA and have been renting a place for six years, but have had to leave as the landlord got into arrears with the banks and it was repo'd by a vulture fund.

I have just rented another house which is 100 a week and I want to claim some sort of allowance, rent, HAP, RAS etc as I can't really afford that much on a long term basis. I have got the application form from the County Council as I was told by the Community Welfare Officer that I have to apply to the council and get on the housing list. This is where my problems may arise. I will definitley qualify under the eligibility rules, but am not too sure about the "Need" rules as I already have some where to live. Can anyone shed any light on this, and what are my chances of getting social housing assistance ie HAP, RAS etc ?

Immaculata

The council consider you to have a housing need if your income is below a threshold that they think allows you to provide yourself with rented or purchased accommodation out of your own resources. I don't know what the threshold is at the moment, it does change over time depending on the economy, the government's say so, etc, but if you can't afford to pay 100 euro a week then probably you're in need according to their definition. The 'need' isn't anything to do with whether you have found a place to rent; it's more about assessing your income to see whether you can pay for it without leaving yourself short for cash for the other necessities of life, like food and so on.

Long story short: no need to worry, just submit the application, and you'll be getting the ball rolling towards getting assessed to be on the housing list and getting rent allowance/HAP/RAS.

infogiver

Same as above. Don't overthink this. Just fill in the form answering the questions as best you can and as quickly as you can.
There should be a separate income assessment form which has to be stamped in your SW office, and a tax clearance form which you send to your local tax office.
You need passport photos too.

rsole1

immaculate
infogiver

Thank you both for your replies.

Graces7

OP if you have been renting privately for six months or more you do not need to be on the council housing list to qualify for rent allowance.

Just got this sorted here again; they say that you have to but it is either or.


If you need confirmation of this, call Threshold?

The problem is that while you are waiting for the council you get no money. I have just had the back money as they are wrong to say you have to apply to the council.

http://www.threshold.ie/

njs030

Graces7 wrote: »

OP if you have been renting privately for six months or more you do not need to be on the council housing list to qualify for rent allowance.

It's not as simple as you pay for six months then can claim rent supplement.

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

Eligibility criteria for Rent Supplement in areas where HAP is not yet in operation
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.

misstearheus

Graces7 I have seen you say this a few times now, and I'm open to correction here, but, I think Community Welfare Officers by-and-large, mostly, "un-officially" insist that you're listed on the actual Council Housing List before they even entertain ya applying for Rent Allowance! It may be written somewhere that there's an either/or of the 6-months element involved, but my feeling is that most won't take a Rent Allowance Form from you until your County Council Housing Form has been approved and you're on the Council Housing List!

It could be that different Counties are more lenient and flexible and let ya apply for R.A. without being on the Council Housing List, or perhaps in your case it could have been a case of you breaking them down and they relented to get ya off their back!! . But I do know for sure some areas insist on you being on the Council Housing List before they approve ya for Rent Allowance!

Plus, being on Rent Allowance, yer supposed to notify them of any changes in your means/Income, and the Council send out Letters every now and again to say you're still on their List or whatever, so like there has to be some sort of conformity at some point of the Hierarchy!

O.P. make sure you apply anyway! Do everything you're asked! Keep photocopies of ABSOLUTELY everything! Make sure you keep a record of dates and times of all Phonecalls with the Departments. You should apply anyway because all individual cases are different and there can be exceptions to the rule. All circumstances are different so I would advise you to apply.

Graces7

misstearheus wrote: »

Graces7 I have seen you say this a few times now, and I'm open to correction here, but, I think Community Welfare Officers by-and-large, mostly, "un-officially" insist that you're listed on the actual Council Housing List before they even entertain ya applying for Rent Allowance! It may be written somewhere that there's an either/or of the 6-months element involved, but my feeling is that most won't take a Rent Allowance Form from you until your County Council Housing Form has been approved and you're on the Council Housing List!

It could be that different Counties are more lenient and flexible and let ya apply for R.A. without being on the Council Housing List, or perhaps in your case it could have been a case of you breaking them down and they relented to get ya off their back!! . But I do know for sure some areas insist on you being on the Council Housing List before they approve ya for Rent Allowance!

Plus, being on Rent Allowance, yer supposed to notify them of any changes in your means/Income, and the Council send out Letters every now and again to say you're still on their List or whatever, so like there has to be some sort of conformity at some point of the Hierarchy!

O.P. make sure you apply anyway! Do everything you're asked! Keep photocopies of ABSOLUTELY everything! Make sure you keep a record of dates and times of all Phonecalls with the Departments. You should apply anyway because all individual cases are different and there can be exceptions to the rule. All circumstances are different so I would advise you to apply.

Yes I now this but legally they are wrong.

Several years ago when I moved to West Crk I was told I had to go on the housing list and wait for an assessment during which time I would get no money . I had then been on Rent Allowance in Donegal for some years.
CWOs insisted

Seven months later still no asessment and I met a Welfare Officer socially who told me they were wrong and to complain.

I did so by email and the CWO was literally on the doorstep next morning; Rent Allowance immediately granted. All the back money paid too

They admiited they were wrong

When I moved to Kerry, they sent me council application forms with the RS forms; did nto press it and when a review came, I simply stated in writing it is either or and no more was said

Same delay here and I made a formal complaint. Stating that is is either or.Rent Allowance for six months OR council list

Rent Allowance granted and they have said in writing that they were incorrect in asking me for a council housing application as I have been renting privately.

That is their admission now in writing.

If you look on Threshold or Citiziens info? The same. Either/or and nothing is ever said re the being able to afford etc.

I did ask one council official why they do this and they hummed and said they "like" everyone to be on the list.

It is not law.

Up to you but I would still have been waiting and in very hard circumstances. The move used up all my money . Needed food and fuel

CWOs do not have the right to insist and deny and they cannot legally do it. They are not the law and they do not write the law.

And had it not been the law? They would not have backed down.

And I am not interested in council housing; choose to rent privately

Up to you to stand up re the law or not.

Graces7

It is exactly that simple; see my other post. This is the third time with 3 different authorities that I have done this.

notjustsweet wrote: »

It's not as simple as you pay for six months then can claim rent supplement.

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

Eligibility criteria for Rent Supplement in areas where HAP is not yet in operation
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.

rsole1

Graces7 wrote: »

It is exactly that simple; see my other post. This is the third time with 3 different authorities that I have done this.

HAP is in operation in the county I am living, does that make a difference?

infogiver

rsole1 wrote: »

HAP is in operation in the county I am living, does that make a difference?

It does make a difference. Where HAP is being rolled out, rent supplement is being phased out and is only available to certain people.
If you've been renting for 6 months and were able to afford the rent when you moved in and have had a "change of circumstances" (in your case you've lost your job), then you probably will qualify.
However, as everyone who is "in need of housing " will eventually have to be on a local authority housing list, then you will probably save yourself time and aggravation by co operating with the CWO and the Housing Dept by filling up the application form and submitting it.
Cooperation is much easier then arguing about legalities etc. and you need to get help to pay your rent ASAP.

rsole1

Well I finally managed to get all the documents that the council need to process my application for HAP / Housing list. When I asked how long the process might take them the answer was "It will take a while". When I pushed her she said she doesn't usually do this job. Does anyone know how long it will take them to look at a few documents and make a decision?

njs030

rsole1 wrote: »

Well I finally managed to get all the documents that the council need to process my application for HAP / Housing list. When I asked how long the process might take them the answer was "It will take a while". When I pushed her she said she doesn't usually do this job. Does anyone know how long it will take them to look at a few documents and make a decision?

It's not a case of looking at a few documents, there is a queue of people ahead of you that you need to join.
It depends what county you are in. Ring them tomorrow and ask is what I'd suggest.

infogiver

rsole1 wrote: »

Well I finally managed to get all the documents that the council need to process my application for HAP / Housing list. When I asked how long the process might take them the answer was "It will take a while". When I pushed her she said she doesn't usually do this job. Does anyone know how long it will take them to look at a few documents and make a decision?

All the information and evidence you have provided has to be verified and checked. They have 100s of applications apart from yours coming in all the time. If you were in the county I live in you would have to be interviewed by a housing officer.
If you can't pay the rent while you waiting you need to go back to the CWO to ask for help