not entitled to rent supplement

Hi,



I moved from my partners house in June, and moved back into my mothers house with my child.


A friend advised me that I should be entitled to rent supplement amoung other social welfare payments. I work 20 hours a week for, so I was unsure how much I would receive. I went to the community welfare officer and she advised me that based on my current situaton and wages, I would be entitled to the maximum rent supplement, and was advised to look for accomadation.


I continued to seek suitable accommodation in the D24 area. And was in with the welfare officer on two separate occasions. Last week I found a two bedroom apartment in the D24 area within my price range, and I was offered the property.


I then gathered all my forms and went to see the welfare officer this week. I was advised there that I could not quality for rent allowance, as I had not been fully accessed by the housing authority, and a new rule had come into place on July the 27th http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Topics/Budg...gesJune09.aspx.
I had been into my welfare officer several times, as was not once advised of these changes, and advised what I needed to do.
I went to south dublin county council, and I applied for housing and was advised that I was eligible for housing, and they stamped my rent supplement form and told me to go back to the welfare officer.
I went into the welfare officer again this week, and was advised that this would not be sufficient, that I still needed my housing reference number. I contacted the council again who advised me that they cannot give a new application a reference number straight away, it goes through processing, and she also advised me that they now have a backlog of 6 months with all the new applications due to the new rent supplement changes.



Has this happened to anyone else? and is there a solution to this, or how could I appeal this??


would appreciate some advise.



thank you

Are you now in the new apartment paying rent?
Has your landlord agreed to accept rent supplement?

are you recieving family income supplement (FIS) if not you should apply

Hi

thank you for replying to me.

I am in the process of claiming FIS, apparently there is a backlog on that as well, so I will have to wait for any additional funds.

I did not get the apartment in the end, I had to let it go unfortunately. But today I realised that I was paying rent to my partner, and I also claimed rent tax credits, so I may fall under the 6 month renting privately rule. I contacted the citizens advise today, and they said that I should qualify with that.

I will be going back into them tomorrow, and see how it goes. And I will post an update.

I dont really understand what you mean by paying rent to your partner and you did not know. Were you paying rent on two apartments. How did you not know you were paying rent? I would certainly know if I was paying something to someone.

You must have a rent book/agreement or something that will help you.

Hi,

Sorry maybe I didn't explain properly.

Basically I was living in my partners house, and paying rent to him, I claimed this back through taxes every year. I did not get receipts or have a rent book, as he was my partner.

With the new rent allowance rule, one of the requirements is you must be paying rent for at least six months of the year in private accommodation, to now qualify for rent supplement.

I never mentioned that I was paying my ex partner rent and claiming for it through my taxes, as I did not think they would take this into consideration, as I was living with my partner.

However they have and I found out yesterday that I qualify based on this, as I was able to show them my tax credits for the year..

does that make sense?

MandaC said:

I dont really understand what you mean by paying rent to your partner and you did not know. Were you paying rent on two apartments. How did you not know you were paying rent? I would certainly know if I was paying something to someone.

You must have a rent book/agreement or something that will help you.

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