Problems with Rent allowance

Celvapan

Hi all,

Would love some advice on my little situation...

I was laid off on the 31st July. I first went to the CWO about RA on the 4th of August, to ask about it and get the forms etc. The house i was living in was over the limit so I moved out, got all the forms sorted and went back to the CWO in Sept. There was a different CWO there and she said that I have to be assessed by the council before I can apply for RA.

I posted here before and was told that i dont need to be assessed by the council AND have rented for 6 out of the past 12 months, that the fact that I have rented for the past 10 years means that I should qualify for it. I also read this online on the citizens advice web page. So I paid her a visit again this week and she is sticking to her guns that I have to be on the council list AND have to have rented for 6 out of the past 12 months...

I showed her the information I had printed off from the citizens advice web page that stated clearly EITHER assesed by the council OR having rented for 6 out of the past 12 months. She told me that this information is incorrect and that the rules have been changed and they obviously have not updated their information to reflect the change. I am currently waiting to be assessed by the council and have been waiting for the past 6 weeks.

So I went home, rang the HSE information line and they told me that I EITHER have to be assesed by the council OR have rented for 6 out of the past 12 months to qualify...I also downloaded their Rent Supplement document produced by the HSE and part 4, page 3 clearly states

4. Housing Need

You will be excluded from receipt of Rent Supplement

UNLESS

• The Housing Authority for the area in which you intend to reside has

determined that you are eligible for and in need of social housing.

OR

• You have been living in private rented accommodation for a period of 183
days within the preceding 12 months at the date of application and you
were in a position to pay the rent at the commencement of the tenancy.
Time spent living in accommodation for homeless persons or in an
institution can also be taken into account.


So according to my CWO, EVERYONE (no either/or here) is wrong except her...

Now for the best part, what do I do now?! I will visit her again with this document, however I'm dubious that she will accept this. Is there anyone higher that I can go to to apply for rent allowance?? I just want to be assessed now, and this back and forth nonsense with the CWO is taking too long!

Just incase anyone wants to see the HSE RA document, here is the link:

http://communitywelfareservice.ie/cw...2004.05.10.pdf

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

snubbleste

Write to the SCWO with all documentation. Call the local office to find out how to contact the SCWO.