Applying for rent supplement

afriendlyshark

Hi there,

I was thinking of applying for rent supplement, but I've a few questions if anyone can help answer them for me..

1. I live with my boyfriend, so I get paid for a qualified adult. Our rent is 600 euro for the two of us in Cork city, but the rent limits confuse me. Can someone please explain if "couple shared" means living with another person? Thank you.

2. Do I have to go into the social welfare office and talk to someone first? Or can I just download the form, fill it out and hand it in? Thank you.

Thanks for any help guys!

Conall Cernach

Couple shared means if you, as a couple, are sharing a flat or house with someone else i.e. there are at least 3 people in the premises. If it is just the two of you, you and your partner, then you should look at the "Couple" column.

You will probably have to call into your local social welfare office to hand in the form when you complete it but you can have as much of it filled out as you can before you go in.

afriendlyshark

Thanks Conall for your response. I assumed as much about the "couple shared" but I can't get over how low it is. I don't know why they think a couple sharing with others in a house would pay so little. Only 330 in Cork for couple shared, ridiculous. We pay nearly double that and are sharing with another person, which is decent considering how high rent is in most places now.
Thanks again.

infogiver

afriendlyshark wrote: »

Thanks Conall for your response. I assumed as much about the "couple shared" but I can't get over how low it is. I don't know why they think a couple sharing with others in a house would pay so little. Only 330 in Cork for couple shared, ridiculous. We pay nearly double that and are sharing with another person, which is decent considering how high rent is in most places now.
Thanks again.

Are you paying nearly 660 for a double bedroom in a shared house?
Is the HAP scheme in place in Cork?

You need to make an appointment to see your local CWO first to talk about eligibility and you may be referred to the LA to apply to go on the housing list first before applying for HAP.
If you were in the same county as me you would only now get rent supplement if you could afford that rent when you moved in ( i.e. If you were working at the time) but have now lost your job or become ill and not able to work.
Or if you were on rent supplement in the last 12 months.
Other then that it's the housing list and HAP.

afriendlyshark

Hi infogiver, we're paying 600 euro, our flatmate is paying 400.
I know very little about the HAP scheme but I'm pretty certain it is.

By any chance can you explain to me why the limit is so low for couple shared? I honestly just don't get it. In Cork, it's 300 euro for single shared, 330 for couple shared. Why is there only a 30 euro difference? It's beyond me.

afriendlyshark

Unless of course there is something I am missing altogether. Which wouldn't be surprising, I've had a stressful as hell day so far, got landed with a huge electricity bill out of the blue so I'm even more eager to apply for rent supplement if I can.

infogiver

afriendlyshark wrote: »

Hi infogiver, we're paying 600 euro, our flatmate is paying 400.
I know very little about the HAP scheme but I'm pretty certain it is.

By any chance can you explain to me why the limit is so low for couple shared? I honestly just don't get it. In Cork, it's 300 euro for single shared, 330 for couple shared. Why is there only a 30 euro difference? It's beyond me.

When DSP are thinking of "shared" they're thinking a very modest double bedroom in a three bedroom modest semi detached or terraced house in a "cheap" area of town where the other two bedrooms are also occupied in order to further stretch the rent.
In other words, the cheapest possible accommodation you guys can find.
You should meet the CWO to have a chat.

afriendlyshark

I see. The DSP are living in fantasy land so.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Gatling

Something to remember op you don't actually get the maximum €330 pm it's 330 minus your weekly contribution of €40 pw per couple

infogiver

afriendlyshark wrote: »

I see. The DSP are living in fantasy land so.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Rent supplement even if you get it will only be temporary, as it was intended when it was first introduced years ago.
Hopefully either or both of you will be working and able to afford your rent soon, or you will be moved on to HAP.
The rent limits are the same with HAP, but the council are a bit more flexible.

afriendlyshark

Ah yeah I understand that, but any help for us would be great. We can afford our rent, but it just leaves us with next to nothing after. Three quarters of my weekly payment goes for rent, and we're left with basically nothing for food, bills and money for socialising. My boyfriend is in college doing a masters, and has no free time because he's doing so much work for that. It's basically a full time job for him so he doesn't have time for a job, and I've been looking of course but getting me nowhere for the moment. Thank you, again, for your help.