Would I qualify for OPFP

M

medisat

Guest
Totally new to this site and this situation so hoping that someone would help. I have 4 children and have separated from my husband in the last 4 months. We have a house in another town which is a joint mortgage. I left the family home when we separated and moved to my parents home in my hometown with my children. It was ok for the first while but now it is getting to be impossible to live there for various personal reasons. My question is if I managed to find a house and move out, would I qualify for OPFP, even though I have a mortgage and a home so to speak. My children are now settled in a new school and could really do without too much more upheaval. I don't know much about sw payments and there is so much information on the website I am totally confused.
 
I don't see why you wouldn't get it even if you were living in the house where your mortgage is.
You should go to your local SW office and make an application for it.
Is your ex husband living in the family home? Is he paying maintenance?
 
Generally speaking if you own another house that you don't live in, then the value of the house is assessed against you for means tested payments such as OPFP.

However, if this is as a result of you moving out of the matrimonial home, then they will take that into consideration. They will want to know the details of what proceedings are ongoing about the property, whether there are plans to sell it etc. They will review the situation every so often to see how it is progressing. If the house is eventually sold, then they'll give you up to six months to buy a new property before they assess the value of the proceeds against you.
 
Thanks for replying Niceoneted. Yes he is living in the family home and continuing to pay the mortgage. He pays me maintenance of €150.00 most weeks and a bit more some weeks if he can afford it. I have been getting UB for the past few months since I lost my job. I have managed to live off this money & my maintenance because we are living with my parents but that situation is beyond hard. I would dearly love to move out and give my kids a stable home but I am afraid I could not afford the rent, esb, heat etc.
 
Just saw your reply now Ildanach. Yes this is more what I mean. Would I get financial help with the rent etc seeing as I am already named as a mortgage holder on another property. My husband has agreed to sell the house but like so many others we are in negative equity so that will not be possible for a long time I think.
 
To get help with rent you would need to first be assessed by your local authority as in need of housing (which shouldn't be a problem, especially with the kids). Apply to your local authority and when the assessment comes in, find a property and apply for rent supplement. See here for details of rent supplement scheme http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/SupplementaryWelfareAllowance/Pages/RentSupplement.aspx

Have a read of the scheme outline and come back with any questions you have! There are some specific difficulties in some areas, namely Wicklow, Kildare and parts of Dublin, so if you live in any of these, let us know.

Do you get maintenance from the children's father? This is assessed in different ways for different schemes. For OPFP the first 95.23 a week is disregarded and doesn't affect your payment, but for rent supplement, the first 95.23 is assessed in full, so this can seriously affect the amount of rent supplement that you receive.
 
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