# Household Charge: Exemptions. How do I go about it?



## bjdld (4 Jan 2012)

I am exempt from paying the household charge because I receive the Mortgage Interest Supplement.  I cannt find out on the website what I have to do.  Do I still go in and register and if so can I claim the exemption online or do I just contact the community welfare officer.


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## PaddyBloggit (4 Jan 2012)

https://www.householdcharge.ie/

*From the site:*

MIS (Mortgage Interest Supplement)

Contact:         Local Community Welfare Officer   
Department:    Department of Social Protection

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/ContactUs/Pages/cwo_contact.aspx


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## bjdld (4 Jan 2012)

thanks for that, I read through all the FAQ but never looked in the contact us section


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## gipimann (4 Jan 2012)

The contact information on householdcharge.ie regarding Mortgage Interest Supplement (MIS) is only directing people towards the SWA office if they think they might qualify for MIS.

SWA officers have nothing to do with the household charge.

The household charge is based on self-declaration.  It is up to the person to declare on householdcharge.ie whether they should be charged or are exempt.


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## serotoninsid (4 Jan 2012)

That site is down for me - and has been inaccessible all evening ..


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## gipimann (4 Jan 2012)

There were a lot of problems with the site today, sid, (take a look at Brendan's thread) - I'd say they've taken it down to try to sort it out.


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## robbie00 (4 Jan 2012)

if a housing estate is still run by a management company and hasnt been taken over by the council does all the units still have to pay the 100 fee?


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## so-crates (5 Jan 2012)

You will need to ring the phone numbers listed to find out what estates are on the exemption list. Only unfinished estates are on it. Estates where there is a managing company maintaining the grounds are not exempt on that basis.


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## ajapale (5 Jan 2012)

robbie00 said:


> if a housing estate is still run by a management company and hasnt been taken over by the council does all the units still have to pay the 100 fee?



House owners in such estates will have to pay the €100 unless they are on the department's "ghost estates" list.


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## Conshine (5 Jan 2012)

I thought there would be an exemption for OAP's, or elderly on long term illness - Is that not the case?


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## Guns N Roses (5 Jan 2012)

The exemptions are as follows: 

Residential properties that are part of the trading stock of a business and have not been sold or been the source of any income since construction,
Residential property vested in a Minister of the Government or the Health Service Executive,
Residential property vested in a housing authority, including property where households are purchasing their homes under the Shared Ownership Scheme and where the local authority still retains an ownership stake,
Voluntary and co-operative housing,
Residential property to which commercial rates apply,
Residential property owned by a charity or comprised in a discretionary trust, and
Residential property where a person has to leave their house due to long-term mental or physical infirmity (e.g. a person that has moved into a nursing home).


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## Guns N Roses (5 Jan 2012)

The waivers from payment of the household charge are as follows:


Owners of residential property entitled to mortgage interest supplement
Owners of residential property located in prescribed unfinished housing estates (see Unfinished Housing Estates section for more detail)
Please note that all waiver claims will be validated.  Persons who make false or misleading declarations in making a claim for a waiver will be liable to penalties under the legislation.


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## so-crates (5 Jan 2012)

There is no mention of an exemption or a waiver for OAPs. Check the FAQ on www.householdcharge.ie for the list of exemptions and waivers.

...Ah, I see Guns N Roses already has checked.


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## ajapale (11 Jan 2012)

moved.


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## elcato (11 Jan 2012)

> I thought there would be an exemption for OAP's, or elderly on long term illness - Is that not the case?


If the person is not living in the house still due to moving to full time care in hospital or nursing home. Last bullet point above in the exemptions list.


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## Silica (24 Jan 2012)

People in full time care in hospital or a nursing home are exempt only if they were in care for all of last year.  
Our mother had a major stroke last month, and will not be going home...but still has to pay the charge this year, according to "household charge.ie"


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## Silica (29 Jan 2012)

Thanks Sahd -- I'll check it again with them, but the info I quoted was what I was told when I phoned the Household Charge help line.   I'm guessing the continuous period of more than 12 months refers to an historic 12 months, ie last year.


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