Rent allowance cut

maggege

My neighbour (on invalidity pension) is in a dreadful state. Few weeks ago she found out that her supplement was reduced and she no longer can stay in the 1 bed apartment she rents. RAL in Co. Kildare for a single person is 400 and there is nothing on the market for that price (except a sheared accommodation, but not suitable for a person in her age).

I started to search for anything even in other counties but if the rent is 60 euro above the limit is there a good chance she might not get the supplement or they are flexible on that?

What she should do if she will have to move out but has no place to move in to?

She is on housing list for more than a decade and she is left alone...

Milk & Honey

maggege wrote: »

My neighbour (on invalidity pension) is in a dreadful state. Few weeks ago she found out that her supplement was reduced and she no longer can stay in the 1 bed apartment she rents. RAL in Co. Kildare for a single person is 400 and there is nothing on the market for that price (except a sheared accommodation, but not suitable for a person in her age).

I started to search for anything even in other counties but if the rent is 60 euro above the limit is there a good chance she might not get the supplement or they are flexible on that?

What she should do if she will have to move out but has no place to move in to?

She is on housing list for more than a decade and she is left alone...

If the rent is above the limit there is no allowance at all. If she is evicted for non payment the Council will be more likely to house her, depending on her age and medical condition.

zef

Has she spoken to the cwo about this?
I have heard they can be discressionary in extreme hardship circumstances regarding RA.

http://www.daft.ie/searchrental.daft?id=1273220 - one in athy, e360 , accepts RA.
http://www.daft.ie/searchrental.daft?id=1269193 - athy , dosent specify RA
A few more studios too on daft.
Have a look on the other popular sites (myhome.ie, rent.ie and she might be lucky. Good luck!

mood

Prices on Daft etc are asking prices only. Have you tried asking for prices to be reduced?

jayteecork

maggege wrote: »

My neighbour (on invalidity pension) is in a dreadful state. Few weeks ago she found out that her supplement was reduced and she no longer can stay in the 1 bed apartment she rents. RAL in Co. Kildare for a single person is 400 and there is nothing on the market for that price (except a sheared accommodation, but not suitable for a person in her age).

I started to search for anything even in other counties but if the rent is 60 euro above the limit is there a good chance she might not get the supplement or they are flexible on that?

What she should do if she will have to move out but has no place to move in to?

She is on housing list for more than a decade and she is left alone...

Tell to try and come to some "arrangement" with her landlord.

Has she considered a concept of a "top up"?

riclad

SHE should see welfare officer,soon,
it seems strange to me.A PERSON on invalidity benefit , should be given priority re council housing ,she should not be on ra more than 6 years without recieving an offer of a 1bed flat, apartment.
She should go to council,make sure she,s on the housing list.
if she was evicted ,the hse would put her into temporary accomodation anyway.
ra payment is not supposed to be a permanent arrangement.
i think welfare officer has some leeway, re ra for someone on invalidity benefit.

zef

jayteecork wrote: »

Tell to try and come to some "arrangement" with her landlord.

Has she considered a concept of a "top up"?

I know people doing this- 32 euro is the standard payment to the LL out of your SW . Then another say 50e a week say to 'top up' from 400 to 600 a month.
If the person is on 188pw, that leaves just over 100 euro for food, esb, internet, phone, tv, travel , etc. Dire.
It's a horrible situation to be in, besause its imossible to save for a new place, just getting bled dry by an estate agent/ LL every week.
Whats wrong with the properties in Athy???, one takes ra & is a nice little 2 bed cottage for 360e.

maggege

@zef I know that she has received a letter stating that the rent she pays at the moment (550) is to high and there is no room for discussion/negotiation. Tomorrow my neighbour is going to contact cwo so I will know bit more.

In Athy are excellent houses and so few weeks ago I was very excited showing them to her. But she came back to me days later saying that everybody to whom she talked to said "don't go to Athy". Personally I don't know the area but what people say it seems that it is not a safe place. She fears to go there, she is vulnerable and anyone could take advantage of here. No one she knows live nearby so.. bit scary.

@mood Prices on daft are asking prices even if posted by an agent? I didn't know that the price can be negotiated. Thanks, we will try that.

@jayteecork All I know is that her landlord said that 400 is unfortunately not enough for him (mortgage). Could you please explain what do you mean by "a concept a top up"?

@riclad She was in the housing local dep last week. From what I understood they even don't consider her. Single person with a child comes first.

MariMel

riclad wrote: »

SHE should see welfare officer,soon,
it seems strange to me.A PERSON on invalidity benefit , should be given priority re council housing ,she should not be on ra more than 6 years without recieving an offer of a 1bed flat, apartment.
She should go to council,make sure she,s on the housing list.
if she was evicted ,the hse would put her into temporary accomodation anyway.
ra payment is not supposed to be a permanent arrangement.
i think welfare officer has some leeway, re ra for someone on invalidity benefit.

I know here that if you dont phone up once a year enquiring about where you are on the housing list, that you can either keep dropping down the list or even drop off it completely.
In those 10 yrs you say your friend has been on the housing list, how often has she corresponded with them about what her application status is?

As for not finding anything within the rent rates.
I had that same problem back at start of the year.
My CWO approved me for a house above my rate on the condition that I accepted that i would have to pay more than the minimum contribution of €30 a week and that I could not come into them claiming hardship because of having to pay that extra rent.
Your friend can always ask them and see.

jayteecork

zef wrote: »

I know people doing this- 32 euro is the standard payment to the LL out of your SW . Then another say 50e a week say to 'top up' from 400 to 600 a month.
If the person is on 188pw, that leaves just over 100 euro for food, esb, internet, phone, tv, travel , etc. Dire.
It's a horrible situation to be in, besause its imossible to save for a new place, just getting bled dry by an estate agent/ LL every week.
Whats wrong with the properties in Athy???, one takes ra & is a nice little 2 bed cottage for 360e.

Better than getting kicked out of the home you've become settled in and moving in with randoms.

riclad

i,m in dublin ,i know 5 people on invalidity benefit
,that got council flats .
so u are saying shes no chance of getting a council flat.
1 person moved to dundalk, on disability benefit, was offered a brand new house,
after 2 years on ra there.
in dublin all council, 1 bed flats are given to single people,
a woman with a child gets at least a 2bed flat,apartment .

mood

riclad wrote: »

i,m in dublin ,i know 5 people on invalidity benefit
,that got council flats .
so u are saying shes no chance of getting a council flat.
1 person moved to dundalk, on disability benefit, was offered a brand new house,
after 2 years on ra there.
in dublin all council, 1 bed flats are given to single people,
a woman with a child gets at least a 2bed flat,apartment .

I would think this is correct. It sounds like she got put on a list 10 years ago and never bother to chase it up etc. It sounds like she expects everything done for her. Maybe it is due to her illness. I don't know what her illness is etc so couldn't say. Have you passed on the advise given here? I would think she needs to put pressure on the housing people if she wants to get anywhere.

D3PO

zef wrote: »

I know people doing this- 32 euro is the standard payment to the LL out of your SW . Then another say 50e a week say to 'top up' from 400 to 600 a month.
If the person is on 188pw, that leaves just over 100 euro for food, esb, internet, phone, tv, travel , etc. Dire.
.

Im not trying to be funny but phone, internet, tv all luxuries. Cut your cloth to measure if you cant afford them then you do without.

mood

D3PO wrote: »

Im not trying to be funny but phone, internet, tv all luxuries. Cut your cloth to measure if you cant afford them then you do without.

Internet is essential for anyone job hunting. The phone maybe essential for this lady depending on her illness/disability. Things are not always black and white!

donalg1

Has she considered talking to the Council about the RAS Scheme, if her landlord agreed she may be able to stay in her current place and pay a lot less rent, she would have to be on Rent Allowance for more than 18months of course.

Victor

jayteecork wrote: »

Tell to try and come to some "arrangement" with her landlord.

Has she considered a concept of a "top up"?

Advocating welfare fraud is not acceptable

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