Max Rent Bracket Needing To move

uncleseano

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Hi, first time poster long time lurker.

In short I went back to college and just finished and right now I am looking for work but it's taking it's sweet time. My girlfriends works and is on maternity leave till next year.

Our lil daughter is just starting to roll and around and it puts us in a poistion were we need a slighty bigger place. Ideally somewhere with a second bedroom. We live in a shoebox apartment and all 3 share 1 room and the walls are closing in fast.

I get help from the state in form of rent allowance and am at the max rent bracket of 950 a month. We've been looking for 2 bed house/apartment over southside city (that's were her work is) and we cant find anything at all. 950 a month rent for a family is not enough to get you a bag of cats lets alone a second room for a child.

The rent supplment said to contact treshold regarding appeals and treshold said to contact the rent supplement crowd. I'm going in circles and am totally stumped for my next move. Both seemed to hint at moving to somewhere more expensive and THEN appealing but that seems sorta risky. As if I have to say that I moved somewhere that under current condition we couldnt afford. If that appeals process fails then we have wasted time/deposit and our current home.

If we were to move further a field then the rent max bracket drop at any rate that's not much help either....

In short....jaysus what have we gotten ourselves into!

EDIT: Bad spelling/grammar
 
I find it incredible in 2014 after the country having had a bail out from the IMF that the dept of social protection can afford to pay 950 euro a month to one family for rent supplement. This is a huge amount of money provided by the tax payer. Despite this it seems its not enough to provide adequate housing into the bargain. Are these amounts sustainable in the long term ? Do people have a right to expect to live on the south side of Dublin in an expensive house or apartment if they have no means just because its close to work ? Similar situations in London mean individuals on benefits have had to relocate to the suburbs as the council no longer pay for them to live in areas with high rents. I don't think the answer is more money on benefits. The government drip feeding the media with hints on tax reductions in a bid to get re elected in recent weeks. Where will the money come from then ?
 
I wouldn't risk moving to somewhere that's above the maximum rent limit for the area (and your family size) and hoping that Rent Supplement would come through - it's likely to be refused, even on appeal.

Your only option may be to move to another area. Here is a list of the maximum rent limits which currently apply.

http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Maximum-Rent-Limits-by-County.aspx

These limits are generally reviewed every 18 months, and the last review was in June 2013, so it's possible that they may change early in the new year (though this isn't certain).

If you've been on the housing list for some time, you should contact your local authority regarding options.

Laois; For information, the 950 referred to by the OP is the maximum rent limit for the family size and area - not the amount of rent supplement paid. Tenants have to make minimum contributions based on family size and income, so the amount paid is less than 950.
 
Maximum rent limits set by social welfare are a joke. The market sets the rate, not the department. Most tenants top up the payment to the landlord on top on their payment however to social welfare. The fact remains that the cost to the taxpayer of these allowances is massive. Is it over the top to suggest that the benefits system in this country is far too generous ? For how long can a bankrupt country go on making these large payments ?
 
If these forums have any mods please remove the off topic troll flame bait. I came here for help not some pseudo lecture
 
If you are in Dublin Tenancy Support can help you access more Rent Supplement under a protocol. You can call them on 1800 454 454
 
It would be great if you could give a report back afterwards. This seems to be a new and fairly unpublicised service that could have huge relevance to lots of people.
 
Thanks for the number Claire. Unfortunatly they only deal with people who have their rent increased and cannot pay it or are on rent supplement and it moved beyond their bracket. Mainly for people facing homelessless, not insanity like us! :p

Best of luck
 
The rent supplement of €950 p.m. is very generous in a country that is skint, at €11400 per annum that is a lot of property tax from a lot of houses around you.

The €11400 p.annum is payable only I guess because there is a shortage of council houses or more affordable options, also the landlords have had a barren few years with the tenants in control and exercising their choice due to over supply of rental options. This balance has shifted and they are seeking a legitimate return on their investment and that is where the crux of the problem lies, the rent assistance provided by the taxpayer no longer cuts it in almost all of the larger urban areas such as the one you would like to move to.

I can see no way forward short term unless you could transfer to another larger property at the same supplement and that is unlikely or come to an arrangement to top up the rent from your income when you secure a job and you will secure a job by making looking for a job your full time job until you get that job offer.

Families have been reared in smaller much less modern spaces over the years in this and many other countries, you will survive until things improve I'm sure.

Good luck.
 
As we keep on saying, 950 per month is NOT the amount we receive. You only get a fraction of that, if your rent goes over that amount (which is for a a couple with one child, it is usually lower) you receive nothing. Needless to say we are going back to the drawing board. The government is reviewing it in the next budget with a view to increasing the max bracket for help.

Bascially if we received the same amount of rent supplement and payed more rent per month (above 950) we could manage. We would happily pay 1200 per month even if I only received a fraction of that. The simple fact is once your rent is above 950 per month you are entitled to nothing.
 
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