Hap scheme problem

LimerickSports

Hi everyone, i have a question regarding the hap rent scheme. i have been recieving the (old) rent allowance at my post office but have recieved a letter from the waterford social office that i will need to change to hap. the problem is i heard on the Hap scheme you have to sign a contract to live in the appartment for 2 years! i had planned on moving out, and moving to Limerick over the summer, and now they want me to change to Hap, will i be forced to stay in the same appartment in waterford for 2 years? where can i go for advice and information about the hap scheme.

also if i move back to limerick after living in waterford for a few years will i be entitled to hap in limerick?

thanks in advance.

1moreyr

Yes if you sign up to HAP (if your landlord agrees) then it is a 2 year contract. If you break that contract then you won't receive any assistance from your county council. If you move to another county they don't have to accept you for HAP unless you have a good reason for moving ie family connection to the area. You should ring Limerick City and County Council to talk to them beforehand. If they say it is ok you will have to come off the housing list where you are and reapply to LimkCoCo which may take a few months. It is not an easy process

LimerickSports

yeah i will go to the social housing office and try talk to someone and see whats best

myshirt

Are you moving to Limerick for work?

LimerickSports

Yes i hope to get work in limerick ! will i still be able to go on the Hap scheme? and how long will it take me to be accepted to Hap! i have putting in a claim to be on a housing list in limerick over 6 years ago, before i moved to waterford, will that still count, or will i have to apply again? and if i have to apply again to be on a housing list in limerick how long will it take to get accepted to Hap?

Samuel T. Cogley

Best of luck with the job hunt!

LimerickSports

thanks

1moreyr

LimerickSports wrote: »

Yes i hope to get work in limerick ! will i still be able to go on the Hap scheme? and how long will it take me to be accepted to Hap! i have putting in a claim to be on a housing list in limerick over 6 years ago, before i moved to waterford, will that still count, or will i have to apply again? and if i have to apply again to be on a housing list in limerick how long will it take to get accepted to Hap?

You will have to reapply. At the moment applications are taking about 6-8 weeks but once you are on the list you can be approved for HAP pretty quickly

LimerickSports

okay thanks, and how long does it take to transfer social welfare do you know.

also i went down to the social welfare today and told them my situation they told me to write down when i could be going back to limerick. i wrote down july-august time, which should give me time to get ready and find a new place

1moreyr

Not sure how long it takes to transfer social welfare but you can always go for an emergency payment from the community welfare officer while you are waiting

Graces7

LimerickSports wrote: »

okay thanks, and how long does it take to transfer social welfare do you know.

also i went down to the social welfare today and told them my situation they told me to write down when i could be going back to limerick. i wrote down july-august time, which should give me time to get ready and find a new place

varies, worst I have had was 7 months. shortest a couple of weeks. You do have to have the house already.

I am in an HAP area BUT as Iw as already on rent allowance was allowed to stay on it? Call Threshhold tenancy office. They told me that because of my age ( over 70) I can stay on rent allowance even in an HAP area. I had no idea re that.