# Supplementary welfare allowance (rent) + working



## Christina (26 Mar 2011)

Hi,  I recently returned to work having completed my 26 of maternity leave.  While on maternity leave I was only getting the state maternity benefit payment and therefore I received €90 per week rent supplement (monthly rent being €500).

I applied for One parent family payment but am awaiting a response, which judging by other threads could be a while!  Along with my applying for supplementary welfare allowance while waiting for this payment my rent supplement is also currently under review.

I earn €150 per week and get €30 maintenance per week from baby's fatherand have no other income.

How much should my rent supplement be reduced by and should I get supplementary welfare allowance while waiting for OPFP? I'm scared that I will be left broke just because I am back to work, however little I earn..


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## gipimann (26 Mar 2011)

If you are working 30 hours per week or more, then you are not entitled to SWA, either as a top-up to your wages, or as Rent Supplement, regardless of your earnings.  

If you're working less than 30 hours, then you may have a continued entitlement to Rent Supplement, as well as a weekly top-up to your wages & maintenance until your One Parent Family claim is decided.

Between your wages, maintenance and SWA top-up, you would be on or close to the SWA rate for one adult + one child (currently €215.80), so there may not be too much of a change in your rent supplement payment - it might even increase if your maternity benefit was higher than €215.80.

Rent Supplement would be reviewed again when your One Parent Family claim is decided - some of your wages would be disregarded, so you may not lose the supplement entirely.


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## Granger (27 Mar 2011)

Christina said:


> Hi,  I recently returned to work having completed my 26 of maternity leave.  While on maternity leave I was only getting the state maternity benefit payment and therefore I received €90 per week rent supplement (monthly rent being €500).
> 
> I applied for One parent family payment but am awaiting a response, which judging by other threads could be a while!  Along with my applying for supplementary welfare allowance while waiting for this payment my rent supplement is also currently under review.
> 
> ...



You can claim an Supplementary payment if as gipimann says you are below the rate for your family size. They will bring you up to the max rate this been €188 for yourself or max rate under the swa €186 + €29.80 for a child = €217.80 or €215.80.

As you are only getting €150 earned income you should be brought up to the limit. There is a disregard of maintence up to €95.23 if you have to contribute to rent. But if maintence was your only form of additonal income then they would count that as full means.

How they assess for rent supplement when your working is they will disregard the first €75, then they will also disregard 25% of the balance left after the 75. What ever is left will be what your Rent Supplement will be reduced by.

But they will back date the difference when your OPFP comes through. As you can receive OPFP and work up to €146.50 before you are assesed on your earnings. But as above earnings over the €75 will be assessed against your Rent Supplement.

Now as for the Rent Supplement, they might just assess you


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## Granger (27 Mar 2011)

Another thing if you are working more than 19 a week you should apply for FIS Family Income Supplement. This will help bring up your money. You can be receiving OPFP also aswell as FIS. There is a very long wait at the moment for FIS so you should apply as soon as possible as they do not back date this payment. They only go from when you apply/submit yor application.. FIS also do now assess maitenance as income.


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## gipimann (28 Mar 2011)

Just to clarify that the SWA rate is not €188 as mentioned above. It is €186 plus €29.80 increase for a child.   Any top-up paid under SWA (even if it is paid while waiting on another DSP claim) can only be made up to the SWA rate, not the rate of the other claim.


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