HELP - rent allowance not being paid into my account

davesangel

I wonder if someone could either give me advice on this or give me an idea of who to contact. My rent allowance is always paid into my account weekly on a Monday. The last date I received this money was Monday 26 July. Because 2 August was a bank holiday I thought maybe I'd get the rent allowance the following day, or be paid today (9 August) for both last week and this week, but nothing has come through (and the money always lands in my account just after midnight, it has done since I started getting rent allowance last year).

Please can someone advise me what to do because I am absolutely panic stricken that I will not be able to afford my rent which is due in a few days time.

davesangel

I just got through by phone to someone in my relevant Rent Supplement Unit and they said that an error had been made on my account and I would receive the money this week but they "couldn't tell me more than that" which seemed a bit cryptic. Has anyone else ever experienced such an error with their payments?

Dempo1

Apologies, I know nothing about rent allowance but it's certainly very odd a mistake was made on your account, would you not have been paid until you queried this?

Glad your sorted 😁

davesangel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117729907#Comment_117729907

Unfortunately the money still hasn't come through so to say I'm panicking is an understatement. I don't understand how a mistake could be made and why I was told it would be rectified when that is not the case 🙁

beachhead

Go to Citizens Information office if you getting the run around.They can prob offer advice or Vincents or Welfare officer.

wotzgoingon

Go to your local community welfare officer.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117735735#Comment_117735735

At a guess, whatever the mistake that was made meant your payment was cancelled in error and needs to be reinstated, this in itself takes setting up and time. You may see the payment this week or it may processed as was previous arrangement (Mondays) to include any arrears you may be owed.

I'm sure you could explain the situation to landlord

SourSessions

Your community welfare officer is definitely the quickest point of call at this point.

davesangel

Thanks everyone for the advice: I rang the Rent Supplement Unit again and got through to someone more friendly than the man I spoke to on Monday. She said I would definitely be paid tomorrow but couldn't tell me what the error was and why it was made. If the money doesn't go through tomorrow I'll definitely be speaking to my community welfare officer because it just makes no sense that any of this has happened (and as Dempo1 said in an earlier comment, would the mistake have been rectified if I hadn't rung up in the first place?)

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117737500#Comment_117737500

I'm pretty confident payment will come tomorrow, I've seem om other threads were delayed payments due to errors paid on Fridays 😏

davesangel

Ok, so when I phoned on Monday I was told I'd be paid a certain amount this week which equated to 3 weeks missed payments. Today I received the equivalent of 2 weeks missed payment so I'm really confused why a member of staff would give me a specific figure that turned out to be untrue. I'm going to see if I get paid my weekly amount on Monday and if not I'll have to ring them again (and then the community welfare officer)

nothing

How many missed payments do you have? If its only 2, and you're normally paid on a Monday, then perhaps the staff member expected the missing ones to go through along with your usual payment?

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117750772#Comment_117750772

I agree, I suspect the payments recieved are the arrears and normal payments will resume Monday. If a payment has been missed OP will have to make contact, I'm not sure CWO will be able to assist if payments have been reactivated on the system. At least the matter looks like its (almost) fully resolved 😉

davesangel

Payments did not resume today. This is causing me so much stress, particularly as all Google searches for a CWO phone number have been fruitless. Could someone advise of a working phone number for them? Any I've tried don't seem to be in use.

davesangel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117750933#Comment_117750933

No payment today, I wish I could just get to the bottom of why someone has basically stopped my payments, and why I was not notified. I haven't slept in days over this.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117760528#Comment_117760528

Can I ask what day payments are normally made to you🤔 before issues surfaced.

I understood (correct me if I'm wrong) most state support, Jobseekers, Disibility payments are paid on Tuesdays, sometimes hitting accounts late on Mondays, depending on your bank 🤔, I'm not overly familiar with Rent allowance payments but in your case, I don't see why arrears would have been paid last Friday if the issue had not been resolved 🤔

davesangel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117760570#Comment_117760570

It's always just after midnight on a Sunday (ie, early Monday morning). I tried phoning up but there are "technical difficulties" and my call can't be processed. Guess I'll have to try and wait it out til tomorrow if Tuesday seems to be the day for most people's payments

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117760593#Comment_117760593

It would seem unlikely any electronic payments would be processed on either a sat or Sunday, if the department processed your payment on a Friday, payment would likely hit your account on sat but of course this depends on your bank, some don't process payments, lodgments on sat /Sunday.

Just a possible explanation, it seems there is no set date for payment of rent allowance, unlike other types of payments, it could be possible and only possible as a result of the errors and hopefully resolution, your payment date might have changed, again just a guess. Hopefully it is resolved but honestly your best course of action is to contact department directly, I know, currently not straight forward.

davesangel

Money still not through and the phone lines not connecting for the second d day running.

I am at my wits end, 9 days without proper sleep, this is making me ill. Please can someone tell me what to do given that I cannot get through to anyone by phone and am facing real possibility of eviction

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765458#Comment_117765458

There is absolutely no point in seeking additional advice here, other than what has been offered already.

I understand its frustrating but I along with other posters have no indept knowledge of your situation, other than surmising as to what may have happened.

We go on what you are reporting, namely a payment was made last Friday so clearly someone in the department is aware of your situation.

Rent allowance is quite a complex payment, entitlement, amounts etc. Is it being reviewed etc, we just don't know.

It really is a case at this stage that only direct communication with the deartment will resolve this. Citizens information may be an additional resource but it would seem the matter is being looked at or there's a more complex issue at hand. My main thought is it maybe payment date has changed due to the initial error.

I would only add, perhaps a detailed email to the Department, explaining what happened, asking has it been resolved and seeking answers as to when payments will be made would at a minimum be advisable.

I, like others don't want to fuel additional stress by not being able to answer questions we've no answers too.

davesangel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765572#Comment_117765572

Thanks and I do really appreciate the input from yourself and others, just going to have to keep trying by phone and email and hope it works out

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765617#Comment_117765617

It will work out and unfortunately when something goes wrong with a SW payment it can and does take time, so try not to be over worrying.

Jono1989

Hope you got sorted and to the root of the problem