Council Waiting List

Yes it is a nice starting salary, im delighted with my promotion. Just have to pass probation now! 2 years at HEO level got me here. Im proud of myself. Ive turned my life around.

Agree, i didnt mean to argue. Sorry for hijacking the thread. I can only comment on my lived experience with Fingal. Ill stop now! Thanks for the intervention

Also still on the HAP scheme too apparently whilst sending proof of income yearly. They won't be in the council house on HAP much longer if anything they say is true.

I was in abject poverty and I was deemed as having a housing need. This was when my son was born. I had just left an abusive partner with my 6 week old baby. I found a landlord that accepted rent allowance at the time. That scheme means you can only work 20 hours per week or you lose single parent allowance. I worked as a care assistant to make ends meet. When the HAP scheme was introduced, I went on that instead. This is a scheme where you can work full time and submit your earnings on a yearly basis and the rent is calculated on that basis. Yes, it would have been better if I was allocated accommodation at that time when I was in poverty. As I clawed myself out of the mess I was in, i liaised with the council about my salary and incremental increases. I was scared as even if I stayed at the Executive Officer level, I would be over the threshold in a matter of a few years. They advised me, in writing, that I will not and cannot be penalised for going over the income threshold ss I had been assessed and deemed as having a housing need. What would you prefer? That I stay home and scratch myself? Or try to make things better for me and my son. I have worked my ass off to get us sorted. I have 13 years left before I retire. Tell me how can I save for a deposit and get a mortgage when I haven't even received my first pay check at this salary? You can be wound up by someones personal circumstances if you want and you can send whatever you want wherever you want. I have done nothing wrong. You all appear to be angry just because you dont understand the system. Thats not on me and I couldn't care less about your judgement and misinformed views. Be angry with the people in power that have created this ridiculously volatile housing market, not those of us that are trying our best.

Lads, ring fingal. Ask them if this happens. It is written into legislation. I really am not doing anything wrong. They have my payslips. This is all above board. While I understand it may be hard to grasp, that is the system. Ive literally sent all payslips and my new rent amount for my long term let has been confirmed in writing based on my personal circumstances. Im not gaining an asset or a 'free house', im gaining long term affordable housing. My rent contributions are higher than other recipients based on my level of income. Your anger at me is misplaced. Im doing everything I'm supposed to do. They will literally tell you over phone or through email that an individual who has a housing need will not and cannot be removed from the allocation list just because it took them 13 years to get their allocation sorted. There are plenty of people in social housing that are above the income threshold. There are plenty that are not. But me trying to get things better so I can afford a holiday now for the first time in 20 years is a strange thing to get wound up by. I have done nothing wrong. You can contact fingal and ask them.

It is not my fault there is not more affordable options for people. Ask youself if you want people to be kept at the bottom wrung of society for the rest of their lives. I'm proud of myself for securing mine and my sons future. It has finally fallen into place for me after working my ass off for it. I am not worried about this conversation or anything I have said because it is all the truth. Be angry with the system. Not someone who has made a valid and great change in their life.

Quite simply, people can, and are removed from the housing lists regularly, and as late as at the allocation stage, for going over the income thresholds. I've already posted some relevant links, and there have been other threads here about it, from people who were removed for being over the threshold.

This thread is not actually about you.

It's about the fact that you challenged correct advice given by another poster above, and countered it with "the OP has no need to worry about going over the income thresholds, once they're on the list they can't be taken of."

Again, quite simply, that is incorrect. They can. Here is a screen shot from Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council which also states eligiblity may change on re-assessment.

Also, have a read of this:

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2023-11-09/96/

I took your point and I said that maybe different councils do things differently. I said that me being on the HAP scheme might be different too. I had said the information was incorrect because I'm currently living it. I have not and will not be removed because of my income increases. I was always in communication with them. Ill have a read over some of the legislation today and see if I can find how and why I have been allowed to do this.

I am sorry for hijacking the thread. I'm sorry I said anything as I didnt want to winde anyone up. I was sharing my lived experience. Fingal told me it was written into legislation so I will find what they are referencing and post accordingly.

What an offensive comment! Why Sould you hang your head in shame? You support two different people, paying vastly different prices for the same property and it's the working one, getting robbed on taxes and rent etc... its total discrimination and stay under that threshold op... in our fantastically " progressive " country, you lose half your income over 44,000 any way! Well done on the job and don't go getting robbed on rent, when they are housing non workers, for free, at our expense...

The government makes the rules, they have a huge amount being robbed on housing, and others getting it for next to nothing. Dont mind these hypocrites who would also do, what suits them best... martyrs for the vulture funds and outrageous prices etc..

Point 2 on the HEO Scale is €58,791.

I am just off the phone with Fingal to clarify things.

I was on the social housing list and then applied for HAP. When I was sanctioned to receive HAP I was removed from the housing list and added to a 'transfer' list as my housing needs had been met. At that point, I was advised of the choice based lettings scheme. This is where properties are advertised and you can express an interest. If you are longest on the transfer list of those that express an interest, you are offered the property. I read over my paperwork this morning too and in 2017, I was advised of this change. I didnt remember being told about the movement between lists. I knew I hadn't done anything wrong and I hope that clears up any confusion. Im sorry for that.

I will go back to the OP question and advise them to talk to their local authority and see about availing of the HAP scheme so that they can alleviate the pressure of trying to escape poverty while not jeopardising their future stability. I have been where OP is and it is a scary and worrying place to be. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

In other words you were wrong about what you were saying about the housing list. You are on a preferential renting list. OP should certainly talk to the council but they are in a very different situation to you and the threshold is certainly at play.

It is a great credit to you getting to AP level as that is a lot of effort and the panel process can be very annoying

I read back and at no point did you apologise till this post nor suggest looking at alternatives to the OP. You were pretty confident you were right about a housing list you weren't on.

I understand you were being emotional but facts don't care and it is not an excuse. It was not that you explained your situation wrong, you actually didn't know and took offense to people making factual statements. You upset other people and weren't really helping the OP.

If you income is just below the threshold, then you might consider (if possible) going to a four day week when you are getting close to the top of the list. Just to be sure.

There are no guarantees about being offered a house. But you won't be put back to the bottom of the list: more likely to go down a few places in there are others with more need than you.

What about the assessment next year, if the poster is then over the income limit.

I clarified where i was misinformed on the process in a later post. I had been moved off the social housing list as I was approved to go on to the HAP scheme. Once I availed of that scheme, the council deemed me as having my housing needs met. Then my income levels are assessed and my rent increased over time in line with my increased salary. In effect, the HAP scheme turned the private rented apartment into a council managed property with regard to rent. The upkeep and maintenance remained mine and the landlords responsibility.

I was then put on a slower moving transfer list which resulted in my upcoming move.

Once a person is in a council property or through one of the housing agencies, their rent is calculated based on income. They will not get removed from the property if their income exceeds the threshold. The rent incrrases accordingly. So once I get my new payslip, i will send it on to them and my contributions will increase.

Sorry again for the confusion and emotional responses yesterday. I realise this is not that kind of platform so I should have gotten my ducks in a row before offering an opinion.

OP should see if they are eligible for HAP as I was where they are a few years ago and it is scary, I couldn't have done this without HAP.