Rent allowance while on holidays

Wshoku

Hi guys,

I went on 2 weeks holidays for fist time ever in last two years. While I was away I did not receive my rent supplement for that period of time. I went down to CWO to present my tickets and ask when the money will be at the post. During holidays out of the State I am not entitle to this type of payment, I heard. Being sarcastic I ask if I do not have to pay rent while I am away and if he can show me relevant paragraph stating about this ridiculous law.
He did mention he is busy and I need to find it myself.
Anyone know what are the rules?

Other stupid thing is that he was going to cut my supplement by half. When I show him a letter from CWO issued three month ago stating that based on my rent supplement review the amount wont change until 20/12/12 (the day when my lease is due to expire) he simply changed his mind about cutting by half agreed amount. He is just a silly chancer, right?

Volvic12

Is Rent Allowance not their as a tool to supplement and help people who cannot afford rent.
I don't know your exact story so I can't comment specifically about you. However, I think it's 100% correct that people would not receive rent allowance while away on holdiays. If you can afford a two week holdiay, then maybe you should not be receiving rent allownace at all.
Sorry if this sounds harsh

stargazer 68

Volvic12 wrote: »

Is Rent Allowance not their as a tool to supplement and help people who cannot afford rent.
I don't know your exact story so I can't comment specifically about you. However, I think it's 100% correct that people would not receive rent allowance while away on holdiays. If you can afford a two week holdiay, then maybe you should not be receiving rent allownace at all.
Sorry if this sounds harsh

Utter nonsense! You are entitled to your rent allowance when you are on holidays the same way as you are entitled to your dole when you are on holidays. Is the rent allowance not paid monthly anyway?

Volvic12

I'm not saying that your man behind the counter is right. I'm just saying it makes sense and should be brought in.
Why should you be entitled to rent allownace if you can afford a 2 week holdiay. That's all I'm saying.
The sense of entitlement in this country really grinds my gears. The middle PAYE earner is getting screwed in this country. No allowances, grants etc. Getting hit with taxes from everywhere.
Sometimes I wonder if people will down tools and leave - whats the point putting in a 40hr week to bring home 25-45k

Wshoku

This is not about if I can afford holidays but about entitlement and as I said this was my first holiday in two years.
If I have two weeks holidays entitlement in a year I can not see why I can not use it once in two years.

Dovies is right, I think, but need to investigate this.
Got the dole and no problems there, only thing is the rent allowance rule they mention and could not support it with paragraph!

MariMel

Volvic12 wrote: »

I'm not saying that your man behind the counter is right. I'm just saying it makes sense and should be brought in.
Why should you be entitled to rent allownace if you can afford a 2 week holdiay. That's all I'm saying.
The sense of entitlement in this country really grinds my gears. The middle PAYE earner is getting screwed in this country. No allowances, grants etc. Getting hit with taxes from everywhere.
Sometimes I wonder if people will down tools and leave - whats the point putting in a 40hr week to bring home 25-45k

Im going on a weeks holiday in October......paid for in full I might add as a birthday present from a friend who knows I havent had any holiday in over 5yrs.
I have made the Social welfare informed of this, but the rent allowance issue is cause for concern now. Being that both my jobseekers and my RA are both under the same dept now I would have thought that if on the dole you are able to take 2 weeks in any calendar year as a 'holiday' (time you do not have to be looking for full time work) then I would have thought that the same would go for receiving of RA.

Its something I am going to look into now.

Jesus Shaves

You have to go into the cow in advance and declare that you are going on holidays, then they'll pay you your rent allowance when you come back

stargazer 68

Jesus Shaves wrote: »

You have to go into the cow in advance and declare that you are going on holidays, then they'll pay you your rent allowance when you come back

Well I never have and have never had a problem but then mine is paid into my bank account each month so maybe thats the difference

Jesus Shaves

Dovies wrote: »

Well I never have and have never had a problem but then mine is paid into my bank account each month so maybe thats the difference

Ah you obviously declared it to social welfare and cwo found out, I should add its up to each cwo to decide if you get the RA or not

Wshoku

I did declare my holidays and got the dole after all, rent allowance is what cause the issue.
Why don't they show relevant rules that I can apply to this particular situation.....if they are right.

Wshoku

Looks like deciding officer apply the rules depending on his/her mood!

23. What happens my Rent Supplement if I go on holidays overseas or leave the country?

Rent Supplement is not normally payable while you are outside the country. You should contact the officer dealing with your claim if you intend to leave the country, even for a short absence. Payment may be made in certain circumstances for short absences from the country, such as holidays etc., if the officer dealing with your claims agrees to it.

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/SupplementaryWelfareAllowance/Pages/Rent_FAQ.aspx#q23

athtrasna

I wouldn't consider a two week holiday to be a short absence tbh. Public opinion must be weighing heaving on Community Welfare Officers, and where they have discretion in cases like this, I wouldn't blame them for refusing to pay for your accommodation in Ireland while you are spending two weeks abroad.

Volvic echoes the sentiment and frustration of PAYE workers at situations like this. Two week foreign holidays are distant memories to most.

Jesus Shaves

Wshoku wrote: »

Looks like deciding officer apply the rules depending on his/her mood!

23. What happens my Rent Supplement if I go on holidays overseas or leave the country?

Rent Supplement is not normally payable while you are outside the country. You should contact the officer dealing with your claim if you intend to leave the country, even for a short absence. Payment may be made in certain circumstances for short absences from the country, such as holidays etc., if the officer dealing with your claims agrees to it.

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/SupplementaryWelfareAllowance/Pages/Rent_FAQ.aspx#q23

Did you declare it to your cwo as well as social welfare

Wshoku

No, I did not.

irishgirl19

Wshoku wrote: »

Hi guys,

I went on 2 weeks holidays for fist time ever in last two years. While I was away I did not receive my rent supplement for that period of time. I went down to CWO to present my tickets and ask when the money will be at the post. During holidays out of the State I am not entitle to this type of payment, I heard. Being sarcastic I ask if I do not have to pay rent while I am away and if he can show me relevant paragraph stating about this ridiculous law.
He did mention he is busy and I need to find it myself.
Anyone know what are the rules?

Other stupid thing is that he was going to cut my supplement by half. When I show him a letter from CWO issued three month ago stating that based on my rent supplement review the amount wont change until 20/12/12 (the day when my lease is due to expire) he simply changed his mind about cutting by half agreed amount. He is just a silly chancer, right?

Its well for ya isn't it going away for 2 weeks and getting rent allowance. This country is as backwards,the people putting in a 40 hour week can't go on holidays

edellc

irishgirl19 wrote: »

Its well for ya isn't it going away for 2 weeks and getting rent allowance. This country is as backwards,the people putting in a 40 hour week can't go on holidays

How can you not go on holiday, you get 20 days paid holidays a year so either you cant manage your finances properly or are looking at holidays outside your price bracket :rolleyes:

Regardless of what is right or wrong the social welfare allows every applicant to avail of two weeks holidays a year, you are paid for them after you come back not before. You are also allowed to have saving up to 20k while on JSA while JSB is means tested, who is to say the OP didnt save for two years while looking for a job to pay for a holiday??? its allowed

talk about begrudgers, thats the problem with this country, its slowly becoming more and more like china...what next a truck driver drives over a child and everyone turns a blind eye and leave it dying in the street :eek:

if you want to attack someone attack the people in government and take a good hard look at yourself and who you voted for with the current and previous governments....and even those not in power I mean really 92k a year with 41k in expenses for gerry f*cking adams and he only works a two day week, seriously and you all want to attack the people on the bread line who most are on through no fault of their own, you people disgust me

WhatNowForUs?

What I think is bizarre is that if you chose to sell your house the mortgage awollance you get will be taken from you during the time you are trying to sell

monkeypants

Two weeks holidays? From what? If you're on the dole and getting RA, you don't have a job. If a change is needed, why not work for two weeks.

Maybe this friend who paid for the holiday could also pay your rent rather than the taxpayer.

irishgirl19

edellc wrote: »

irishgirl19 wrote: »

Its well for ya isn't it going away for 2 weeks and getting rent allowance. This country is as backwards,the people putting in a 40 hour week can't go on holidays

How can you not go on holiday, you get 20 days paid holidays a year so either you cant manage your finances properly or are looking at holidays outside your price bracket :rolleyes:

Regardless of what is right or wrong the social welfare allows every applicant to avail of two weeks holidays a year, you are paid for them after you come back not before. You are also allowed to have saving up to 20k while on JSA while JSB is means tested, who is to say the OP didnt save for two years while looking for a job to pay for a holiday??? its allowed

talk about begrudgers, thats the problem with this country, its slowly becoming more and more like china...what next a truck driver drives over a child and everyone turns a blind eye and leave it dying in the street :eek:

if you want to attack someone attack the people in government and take a good hard look at yourself and who you voted for with the current and previous governments....and even those not in power I mean really 92k a year with 41k in expenses for gerry f*cking adams and he only works a two day week, seriously and you all want to attack the people on the bread line who most are on through no fault of their own, you people disgust me

There is plenty of people I know who cant go on holidays and who work.you get more in this place being on the dole.you get your rent paid,health paid your money every week,clothing grant once every so often,back to school for your kids.the reality of it is,is that for some people they would have less money in their pocket if they went back to work.
Do you honestly thinkynut makes a difference who you vote in government? They are all corrupt.

edellc

irishgirl19 wrote: »

There is plenty of people I know who cant go on holidays and who work.you get more in this place being on the dole.you get your rent paid,health paid your money every week,clothing grant once every so often,back to school for your kids.the reality of it is,is that for some people they would have less money in their pocket if they went back to work.
Do you honestly thinkynut makes a difference who you vote in government? They are all corrupt.

I wish I had such a black and white view of things as you do, not everyone on the dole gets rent allowance, the medical card has a wait of nearly a year to be issued and by that time you may or may not have a job again so it can be revoked, and how many times a year do people actually go to the doctors? really its a handful, a clothing allowance is only given if you have a illness that requires a winter coat...you cant just rock up there in the summer and ask for money to get summer clothes and get it, as for back to school for your kids its not the kids fault they parents find themselves in the situation they are in.

At present NO it doesnt make a difference which party is in government as they are the puppets of Ollie Rein, but yes I do think it could have made a difference each and every other time for the last decade when FF where voted in and for that I blame the Irish people who elected them and let them get complacent.

Being on the dole long term or even short term is a stressful situation, as going from a salary to having to count every penny is hard, applying to every job that is going and not getting a reply is tough on a persons mental well being and not being able to provide for your family is sole destroying..Most on the dole do not take this 2wk holiday but they are entitled to it, your begrudgery is sickening but I do believe in karma and maybe it will find you one day.

Its not the OP who makes the rules but it is he who has to live by them, the fact of the matter is that although the social welfare and CWO work off the same system neither speak to one another, hence the whole left hand not speaking to the right hand scenario, and its not working, the rent allowance should be suspended for the 2wks and reissued when the applicant returns its very simple but yet again the Irish make a simple thing look like brain surgery....the mind boggles really

irishgirl19

Ah here did ya spend 10 mins typing that. i apologise to the OP if I sounded harsh but thats just my opinion and I realise that it doesn't apply to all people.

I have known personally people that have benefited from being on the dole just take the ERSI Report as back up. And there is the other side where people get screwed from being on it but there is certainly people on it that are benefiting and dont try tell me different cuz I know. Unless they are going around the system ie claiming loan parents when with someone.
Also in my experience it doesn't take too long to get a medical card,about 2 months,

I agree thoroughly with what VOLVIC12 posted.Im no longer going to continue a internet war with u.I have apologised to the OP as I understand I couldve phrased my original post better. However I don't agree with all you say but ill agree to disagree because im not getting into a political debate here. And also do you think i am stupid i know there is hardly any jobs i was out of work long enough myself. goodbye

StillWaters

Edel, you are the one with an ill informed black and White mindset. You stated that everyone in work can go on a 2 week holiday. If they can't they are mismanaging their finances.

This is simply not true. There are people working who are really struggling. Working very hard but barely keeping their heads above water. There is no way they could get the money together to go on holiday. I really think you should retract that part of your post.

edellc

StillWaters wrote: »

Edel, you are the one with an ill informed black and White mindset. You stated that everyone in work can go on a 2 week holiday. If they can't they are mismanaging their finances.

This is simply not true. There are people working who are really struggling. Working very hard but barely keeping their heads above water. There is no way they could get the money together to go on holiday. I really think you should retract that part of your post.

Nope never said everyone in work, think you need to re read :rolleyes: and as you are a self employed landlord you are hardly a leading figure on what people are entitled to while on social welfare

I know there are people who work who struggle and barely keep their head above water, where do you think I live??? The OP said he hadnt had a holiday in two years, I have gone much longer than 2yrs without a holiday but he is entitled to take one and if you save for two years then your entitled to use that money to pay for it, likewise you are entitled to have a certain amount of savings while on the dole.

I do find you amusing stillwater as every thread I seem to post on you are straight on there attacking me....should I be worried about you

StillWaters

edellc wrote: »

irishgirl19 wrote: »

Its well for ya isn't it going away for 2 weeks and getting rent allowance. This country is as backwards,the people putting in a 40 hour week can't go on holidays

How can you not go on holiday, you get 20 days paid holidays a year so either you cant manage your finances properly or are looking at holidays outside your price bracket :rolleyes:

Ive reread it, and I still think you are saying people working 40 hour weeks should be able to afford a holiday.
I made no comment about SW entitlements, as you are quiet right, I know very little about them, unlike yourself.

As for your comment thar I attack your posts. I do recall crossing swords once, when you gave incorrect information to a tenant. I wasnt the only poster who corrected your advice.
I dont recall any other interaction, but Im sorry you feel tgat way.

The_Conductor

Quit bickering- I reallly don't want to have to formally warn both of you.

OP- Rent Allowance is no longer *normally* paid while a tenant is not in the country. It is entirely discretionary on the part of the Community Welfare Officer whether it be continued during that period in which you are absent from the country or not. The discretionary funds available to CWOs (from which RA is paid) have been cut to the bone- they are prioritising as instructed, and RA for a tenant who is absent from the country, for whatever period of time, is no longer automatically paid.The end.

I am closing this thread.