Social housing income limits

Wifey82

Hey all,
I have a problem and looking for advice on what's best for me to do.
I am on the cork city housing list for over 9 and a half years.
I am waiting on a 4 bed property as my children are boy 18,two girls 12 and 10 and boy 7.
I have not had any offer of housing yet..but I know an offer will come soon as I was told by the council that I should expect to wait 10 years.

My problem is that now my son is 18 and finished school he has an apprenticeship and is paid €280 weekly.
As a result of this We are now over the income limits by about 6K for our family size.
I am wondering should I just take my sons name off the application now as it seems unfair to wait so long and then be told we are no longer eligible for housing.
He was 9 years old when we applied!!!

And he plans to fly the nest in the next 2-3 years also.

We are not trying to screw the system so no nasty comments please.
Both myself and my husband work with low paying jobs and are private renting with no hap as our landlord isnt interested and house is old and wouldnt pass the standards inspection anyway.We are a good honest hardworking Irish family that need something good to happen soon.If we were put off the list after waiting this long I
Really dont know what we would do.

Thanks

twowheelsonly

Firstly, you should be chasing the Council to get sorted on a regular basis. It sounds like you've been too quiet.
You should also be reviewing the CBL (Choice based letting) list every week and sticking in for anything suitable that shows up on that. Personally I don't think you need a 4 bed so you should look at the 3 beds as well which will increase your choice ten-fold.
The chances of being booted off due to your son are highly unlikely.
Say nothing or don't add any information until you're asked. Once you're sitting down with the Council to sort out the nitty gritty details this will most likely come up but I can't see it causing any major problem. If he happened to be living somewhere else, with his Grandparents for instance, it would definitely have zero effect.

corks finest

Wifey82 wrote: »

Hey all,
I have a problem and looking for advice on what's best for me to do.
I am on the cork city housing list for over 9 and a half years.
I am waiting on a 4 bed property as my children are boy 18,two girls 12 and 10 and boy 7.
I have not had any offer of housing yet..but I know an offer will come soon as I was told by the council that I should expect to wait 10 years.

My problem is that now my son is 18 and finished school he has an apprenticeship and is paid €280 weekly.
As a result of this We are now over the income limits by about 6K for our family size.
I am wondering should I just take my sons name off the application now as it seems unfair to wait so long and then be told we are no longer eligible for housing.
He was 9 years old when we applied!!!

And he plans to fly the nest in the next 2-3 years also.

We are not trying to screw the system so no nasty comments please.
Both myself and my husband work with low paying jobs and are private renting with no hap as our landlord isnt interested and house is old and wouldnt pass the standards inspection anyway.We are a good honest hardworking Irish family that need something good to happen soon.If we were put off the list after waiting this long I
Really dont know what we would do.

Thanks

Know it might not sound great but i lived in a 3 bedroom with 6 kids and both of us in Derry, we had bunkbeds which were fine , you’ll get a 3 bed quicker , my mother had 8 of us ( 10 in total) and lodgers in uam var whilst growing up so it is possible not ideal but you’ll work around it, PS as I mentioned in a pm Cluid are your best bet,get co opted onto their list, vv best of luck to you all

If you took him off the application would you be happy with a 3 bed?

Wifey82

Augeo wrote: »

If you took him off the application would you be happy with a 3 bed?

Yes I would of coarse.Id be delighted!

Well as "We are now over the income limits by about 6K for our family size" due to his earnings, and you'll still qualify for the house without him?
It seems potentially beneficial to remove him from the application?

It's obviously a minefield of ifs and buts though where transparency regarding lists etc etc is fairly murky.

Wifey82

twowheelsonly wrote: »

Firstly, you should be chasing the Council to get sorted on a regular basis. It sounds like you've been too quiet.
You should also be reviewing the CBL (Choice based letting) list every week and sticking in for anything suitable that shows up on that. Personally I don't think you need a 4 bed so you should look at the 3 beds as well which will increase your choice ten-fold.
The chances of being booted off due to your son are highly unlikely.
Say nothing or don't add any information until you're asked. Once you're sitting down with the Council to sort out the nitty gritty details this will most likely come up but I can't see it causing any major problem. If he happened to be living somewhere else, with his Grandparents for instance, it would definitely have zero effect.

Thank you for your reply.
I am phoning the council every week but they hardly ever pick up.
I email them twice a week but replies are automated.
They really do drag their feet.
I have no problem taking a 3 bed.
In fact I bid on them when they come on cbl.
It's the council have told me that I need a 4 bed as my eldest son is an adult and it's not right to put an adult in a bedroom with a child.(younger brother is 7).
Boys dont mind sharing at all..its the council who said I need a 4 bed.
I'd gladly take a 3 bed house in a heartbeat and be so grateful.

Wifey82

corks finest wrote: »

Know it might not sound great but i lived in a 3 bedroom with 6 kids and both of us in Derry, we had bunkbeds which were fine , you’ll get a 3 bed quicker , my mother had 8 of us ( 10 in total) and lodgers in uam var whilst growing up so it is possible not ideal but you’ll work around it, PS as I mentioned in a pm Cluid are your best bet,get co opted onto their list, vv best of luck to you all

Thank you for your reply.
Cluid have no list as such they told me.
They get nominations from the council.
I have ticked the box on application 9 yrs ago to say I would be interested in cluid.
Council just have not given cluid my application yet..which is frustrating.
I had a neighbour who moved to your area last year with two grown kids.she spent alot of time away in the same place you mentioned in your pm.I reckon it could be the same lady.😉

I know in Dublin if your household income goes over the income limit you no longer qualify. It is that black and white. They also have rules on children sharing.

If you look to remove your son from the application, you will be asked to provide proof of his new address and possibly a copy of a lease.

I don't know if the rules are different in Cork, but I'd imagine they are pretty standard without too much variation, countrywide.

corks finest

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I know in Dublin if your household income goes over the income limit you no longer qualify. It is that black and white. They also have rules on children sharing.

If you look to remove your son from the application, you will be asked to provide proof of his new address and possibly a copy of a lease.

I don't know if the rules are different in Cork, but I'd imagine they are pretty standard without too much variation, countrywide.

Same rules apply here

corks finest

Wifey82 wrote: »

Thank you for your reply.
Cluid have no list as such they told me.
They get nominations from the council.
I have ticked the box on application 9 yrs ago to say I would be interested in cluid.
Council just have not given cluid my application yet..which is frustrating.
I had a neighbour who moved to your area last year with two grown kids.she spent alot of time away in the same place you mentioned in your pm.I reckon it could be the same lady.😉

You have to ask Cluid to be co opted onto their list from the council one , ref my neighbour it’s not her, this lady has 6 grown up,only one living with her, really nice woman but a complete waste of a 4 bed house, one person living in it since last year is unfair to ppl who genuinely need a 4 bed, I went through the whole process years ago, unless it’s changed atm

Here is a case where a family in Westmeath were removed from the list for being €340 over the annual limit.

https://www.thejournal.ie/jobless-couple-threshold-house-3525209-Aug2017/

OP, I honestly don't know what to suggest you can do in your situation.

corks finest

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I know in Dublin if your household income goes over the income limit you no longer qualify. It is that black and white. They also have rules on children sharing.

If you look to remove your son from the application, you will be asked to provide proof of his new address and possibly a copy of a lease.

I don't know if the rules are different in Cork, but I'd imagine they are pretty standard without too much variation, countrywide.

Same rules apply here