Affordable Housing - Income limits and other issues

inigo

Hi all. My wife and I have just received a letter from DL/R saying we may be offered an apartment in the Stillorgan area (where we both work and rent!!) and asking us to submit P60 amongst other things. Problem is when we first applied my wife was temporary and earning below the 40,000 mark and I was working part-time. Now my wife is permanent and her salary has gone up substantially while I am working full-time on a temporary contract. And we got married somewhere in the way.

Do the income limits refer to total/gross pay or net/after tax? I once talked to someone in the Council and was told that the limits may be flexible depending on the applicant's circumstances, such as rent, medical bills, etc. Would it then be worth trying to push the income limit with these and other items? Any ideas what could work? I feel we are now in no man's land, probably not qualifying for affordable housing but unable to afford anywhere in the area... Thanks!

Forgot to ask, will they consider our combined income now that we are married? Will we be asked at all if anything has changed? We actually got married abroad and have not registered our marriage in Ireland yet.

jdivision

It depends what scheme you applied under. At one stage DLR had no income limit at all. You're married and should tell them that and yes combined income will count. Depending on the scheme there's different ways of calculating it. It's gross pay that they rely on and based on last year's income.

inigo

Thanks jdivision. That's what I thought.

inigo

I found the County's "infobook" so I'll answer my question in case someone else is interested. From the book:

"You are eligible if the payments on a mortgage on a property suitable to your needs, calculated over the course of a year, would exceed 35% of your annual income net of income tax and pay-related social insurance.

If two household: combination of main earners net income plus half second earners net income."

Unless I got it wrong, they take into account net income(s), i.e. after tax? In any case, if one is borderline, taking a more expensive mortgage could ironically mean being eligible???

http://www.dlrcoco.ie/housing/affordHsg/infobook.pdf

The_Conductor

inigo wrote: »

if one is borderline, taking a more expensive mortgage could ironically mean being eligible???

http://www.dlrcoco.ie/housing/affordHsg/infobook.pdf

Correct. I do think they take a common sense approach to these things though- its not in their best interests to ruin you financially either.....

inigo

Cheers smccarrick.

We've just been told it may be in The Grange, Stillorgan! :eek: Looks pretty sleek. Any comments on this complex? Location is spot on for us.