Rent Supplement / Allowance Payment method....Can it be paid into your bank account?

cisco27

I've been unemployed for 7 months and have recently had my jobseeker's allowance set up so now it is paid directly into my bank account.

I also receive rent supplement for the room I am renting.

When I checked my bank account online I noticed that my rent supplement had not been paid in along with my dole money.

I went to see my Community Welfare Officer about it this morning and he informed me that I must collect my rent supplement weekly from my post office and that was the law.

I just checked the welfare.ie website and it states that: "Rent Supplement is paid weekly or monthly by cheque, Electronic Fund Transfer or post draft, usually in arrears."

link: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/SupplementaryWelfareAllowance/Pages/RentSupplement.aspx

Does anyone know if I am entitled to have my rent supplement paid directly into my bank account?

And if I am, how do I go about it after my Community Welfare Officer refused to do it for me?

Thanks for your time.

u60gypx5jakoti

I would like to know about this too.
I am in the same boat, have my jobseekers payment paid into my bank account weekly, as i have been claiming since before the new measures introduced last summer, but my rent allowance payments, which i only started to receive in january this year, are set up for me to collect in the post office weekly. Having both payments paid into my bank account at the same time would make more sense.
I previously received rent allowance a number of years ago paid into my bank account weekly along with the jobseekers payment, but now, i cant seem to avail of this.
I quizzed my community welfare officer about this, and she told me the reason is because the superintendant for the area doesnt allow bank transfers. Surely this contravenes the laws displayed on the departments website, and i am entitled to choose the method of payment myself???

u60gypx5jakoti

Anyone got any answers on this topic?

snubbleste

I've never heard of it being paid into a bank account, even though the facility is there. The reason it is paid through the PO is to stop the widespread abuse that was going on years ago with rent supplement claims.

If the SCWO does'nt allow bank transfers then that's that

u60gypx5jakoti

Ah, i see. Well then what about getting paid rent supplement every 4 weeks instead of weekly. I pay my rent every 4weeks so this would be easier. Also, getting paid by cheque instead of post draft? And how long do you have to cash the cheque if paid by cheque?