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Rent Affordability Enquiry

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    #32
    houseyhouse
    Registered Users Posts: 693 ✭✭✭houseyhouse


    nicdd27 wrote: »
    Houseyhouse, thank you! I do appreciate that a lot.

    It's actually my gross pay that is just under 39K, and using the calculator on the PwC website, net seems to work out at just over 30K. The sibling on PUP is currently on the application, so the current rate is for us both. I just decided to cover it because of that loan.

    When I contacted HAP in November, I was told that we aren't on as a couple, and that we are on the same rate as one adult and one child (I'm just assuming its due to the circumstance. I've tried getting clarification on this for ages now, but it's what I was offered and I was grateful for that anyway).
    I was then told I would have to move out as its the income for all residents on the same application that is taken into account, so even if I transfer it to sibling on PUP, I would also have to remove my name from application and move to change the contribution.
    I don't have an issue with that, but I was then told that with the PUP rate the sibling is on, they may not even accept the application under the current rent.

    Net pay for a means test is usually not the same as your actual take home pay. They include PAYE for example. See citizens info here. Still you will be down a few thousand from your gross pay for PRSI and pension. If you're public service, I would guess the pension levy is also not counted in 'net' pay. I think you did say somewhere that you're public service. As far as I know, you can't top up your public service pension. Employees in the private sector can choose how much to contribute to their pension but public sector employees cannot.

    I think the HAP rule about all residents' income being counted makes sense if you are a single household (so a single family or a couple). I wonder if you can get them to assess you as housemates though, i.e. as two separate households. I would guess that people on HAP are allowed to houseshare, in which case they would have housemates living in the same house but not have their income assessed jointly (because they're not one household for tax purposes etc.). I don't know if this is true though, and I don't know if being siblings would exclude you from that. It's something I would look into if I were you.

    Good luck!


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    #33
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    OP; worth a call to Citizens Info as they are very clued up on these things. All kudos to you!


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