Offered Council apartment

Darocketeer

Hi,

We've been offered a council apartment after many years on the list. I always imagined there was no way I'd be on the list for more than 10 years because I'd have bought somewhere before then, but alas it hasn't turned out that way. We still hope to buy somewhere eventually and the decrease in rent should help that happen. Mostly though, the fear of my kids ending up homeless every time a tenancy ends won't be missed!

I'm a little confused and worried however about the salary thresholds for social housing as highlighted on the citizens advise website. Both my wife and I are now working. She qualified as a nurse in October 2020 (thanks largely to a SUSI grant). So now combined we earn €56k.

Is the considered household salary for the current year or last year?
Should I be worried that we could actually be refused based on salary (we're based in South Dublin CoCo catchment)?

Any help is hugely appreciated.

Darocketeer

I didn't mean to post this thread into this forum! Could a MOD please move to a more relevant forum PLEASE? ��

Dangee4050

Darocketeer wrote: »

I didn't mean to post this thread into this forum! Could a MOD please move to a more relevant forum PLEASE? ��

I’d be very worried with your income exceeding the limit I think the limit is 42000. Your supppsed to notify them if your income increases. It’s likely they will remove you from the list.

Also it doesn’t matter if it was last year or this year once you start earning above the salary limit that’s all they care about I think

Plumbthedepths

I'd be very surprised if the council doesn't ask for an update on your income. Does the council not operate a differential rent scheme? Do you not intend to advise the council of a change in circumstances?

Darocketeer

Dangee4050 wrote: »

I’d be very worried with your income exceeding the limit I think the limit is 42000. Your supppsed to notify them if your income increases. It’s likely they will remove you from the list.

Also it doesn’t matter if it was last year or this year once you start earning above the salary limit that’s all they care about I think

Is that 42k NET? Not that it matters much because we'll still be 2/3K over. Too rich for social housing but too poor for a mortgage!

Darocketeer

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

I'd be very surprised if the council doesn't ask for an update on your income. Does the council not operate a differential rent scheme? Do you not intend to advise the council of a change in circumstances?

To be honest my wife only qualified in October and we just didn't think to update them. We didn't think we'd be offered a council place so it wasn't done (not notifying them of income increase) on purpose. I also naively thought some people get offered places to help them save for a couple of years to buy

Dangee4050

Darocketeer wrote: »

Is that 42k NET? Not that it matters much because we'll still be 2/3K over. Too rich for social housing but too poor for a mortgage!

I’m not really sure to be honest. Maybe it is net? As you say your still over though. Have they asked for payslips and bank statements?

Dangee4050

Darocketeer wrote: »

To be honest my wife only qualified in October and we just didn't think to update them. We didn't think we'd be offered a council place so it wasn't done (not notifying them of income increase) on purpose. I also naively thought some people get offered places to help them save for a couple of years to buy

God if it was only that easy in this country. Although there is plenty of people in social housing on high incomes that won’t ever buy a house

ShaShaBear

OP myself and my husband were offered a house by the council almost 2 years ago, and the offer was withdrawn when they calculated that we earned €500 a year over the limit due to our Working Family Payment (a social welfare payment issued because a family's income is deemed too low :rolleyes: )
I wouldn't be hopeful, but you will absolutely have to provide them with your current financial income before the offer is processed officially.

Darocketeer

Thanks for the replies. We've accepted the fact that the offer will be withdrawn any day now. It's just so annoying that you're only chance to get a leg up in this country (apart from an inheritance) is only possible if you lounge around waiting for it!

The real kick in the teeth will be when they increase the income limits this year as expected! Those limits were set in 2011. Ridiculous

Dangee4050

Darocketeer wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. We've accepted the fact that the offer will be withdrawn any day now. It's just so annoying that you're only chance to get a leg up in this country (apart from an inheritance) is only possible if you lounge around waiting for it!

The real kick in the teeth will be when they increase the income limits this year as expected! Those limits were set in 2011. Ridiculous

I wonder what they are going to increase them by?
Probably still be under 50000 though

Saudades

Where is it published that limits will be increased?

The housing list is so long I would have thought that if anything, the limits would be reduced.

Darocketeer

Dangee4050 wrote: »

I wonder what they are going to increase them by?
Probably still be under 50000 though

Don't forget it's your NET income so will definitely be under 50K. We would have been fine at 43K, which is a 5.5K increase for our family size. It's not unrealistic to think they might increase it by that much considering rents have increased by around 7K since 2011