HAP question

rawn

Hi

My mam receives HAP and usually her portion to the council was stopped out of her dole. She is now on a FAS scheme (the scheme that pays the extra 50e a week) and gets paid into the bank. She went to the council during the week to ask how she is supposed to pay her portion now and the lady hadn't a clue. She gave my mams number to someone to call her back but she has heard nothing so far. Her weekly payments have been in full so the council hasn't been getting their portion, and we're afraid that the LL payments will be stopped. Can anyone advise on what usually happens when you switch from dole to FAS payments?

The_Conductor

Rawn- I don't know the answer to your query- however, HAP payments are made automatically to the landlord in arrears at the end of each month. The software which processes the payments automatically stops the landlord's payment, altogether, if the local authority do not get the portion of the rent from the tenant. Your Mam *needs* to get this sorted- as she will automatically be in arrears for the full sum of the rent- if it is not fixed immediately (the arrears are for the full sum of the rent- not just her portion).

The lady in the council needs to do better than this- and needs to be held to a higher standard than is the case.
Your Mum should also talk to the landlord and make them aware of the situation- so they at least know its being dealt with.

The local authority stop the landlords rent in full- when they stop receiving your Mum's payment- and it is an automatic process- your Mum's payment stops- her HAP scheme payment stops. As soon as the periodic payment stops (this could be weekly or monthly in nature)- she is out of the scheme.

She needs to take time off- and not leave the local authority office until they sort it.

rawn

Thank you. It's actually ridiculous that this information isn't available, the scheme has been around long enough. She'll be back over on Monday to try speak to someone else about it, the LL has been so patient with all of the problems initially when she switched to HAP but there's a limit!! My mam isn't in arrears technically, as she paid rent out of her own pocket while waiting for HAP.

HAP is such a mess, it doesn't need to be!

If we do find a solution I'll post it here for others.

splinter65

Your mam needs to be a nuisance about this in your la office first thing on Monday. Do not be fobbed of with “ the person in charge of this is in a meeting/on holidays/out sick today let me take your number and some one will ring”. Insist that someone from HAP comes down to talk to her even if she has to wait at the counter.

rawn

Well 2 trips to the council later she had been told she has to provide her BIC/IBAN to the CC and they will issue her with a card, which she then needs to bring to the CC every week to pay her HAP contribution. Why they can't just stop it out of her money is beyond me but there ya go

The_Conductor

Good to hear its in the process of being resolved- though it is a bit mental that they couldn't do these things as a matter of course.
Rawn- closing your thread.