Furnishing council property

Supergirl1985

Hi me and my husband recently got a council property,was just wondering do the social help out as we’re on FIS and he’s working,the house is bare no floors or notting by any means I’m not begging as it was so quick we got this house no time to save,our rent every week is €200 plus kids to feed,we have enough to buy the white goods ,does the social help out with beds as me and hubby will sleep on air beds till we’re sorted any help appreciated thank you ðŸ™ðŸ» x

doolox

I believe that there is a person in each Social Welfare Office who can handle the paying out of small amounts of money towards the cost of essential items such as beds and furniture etc for people starting out in new housing.

They also handle payments for such one off expenses as holy communion clothes for the children, school books or items deemed necessary for medical conditions got by family members etc. Big and unexpected expenses that do not happen on a regular basis.

I do not know the exact conditions that apply to these payments but it could be worth a try if you have the time and the queues are not too long.

If in receipt of family Income supplement it is possible that you already have had dealings with the welfare office, ask about supplementary payments for furniture and household expenses needed to start up your new household.

By the way, congratulations on getting a roof over your head in these very demanding and difficult times.

I would also recommend contacting the likes of St Vincent de Paul. The branch which is local to my sister was very helpful to her in the recent past and managed to help her with outstanding bills, food and other necessities when her children were younger and times were tougher.

Best of luck in whatever you decide to do.

doolox

I am sorry but the names for all the organisations and people I mentioned in the previous post have changed in recent years.

Social Welfare is now DEASP, Dept of Employment and Social Protection.

The payment is called an Exceptional needs payment.

The Officer in charge is now called a DEASP officer.

I did a quick online look and it seems that people in full-time employment of over 30 hours do not qualify for these payments. A quick look at the online form seems to show a lot of questions about income and other payments etc and details of existing outgoings, so it looks as if it is means tested.

I did a quick look at Donedeal and secondhand beds seem to range from €30.00 for a single divan bed up to 250-300 for fancy looking double beds.

The problems with this approach is getting transport and trying to get a good price on well kept beds and getting them transported to your home can be hard unless you know an obliging neighbour with a big car or van.

The only route I can think of is that the St Vincent de Paul used to warehouse and arrange transport for secondhand furniture from houses where they were no longer needed to houses where they were needed. I used their services to clear the house of my late mother 5 years ago on the event of her death.

I do not know if they still provide that service and things like mattresses etc would have to be bought new or in spotless condition which can be hard to do especially with Childrens' bedding.

Supergirl1985

Thank you very much for getting back to me and not judging me or my circumstances,I will look into SVP see can they help with a bed thanks very much

doolox

....in similar circumstances at one time or another and needing help, I would be very foolish to judge people on their life circumstances.

You may find it hard to believe just now but things will get better as time goes by. My sister is making changes in her life and things are improving for her with help and support from other people.