# Do I lose my rent relief if my girlfriend works?



## Unfair (20 Jan 2004)

Hope you can help here....??
I have just come back to Dublin after 2years and have just signed on as we are both looking for work. We are going to use our last savings as a deposit and a months rent in advance. We, as a couple are intitled to E178pw rent allowance as we are currently unemployed. 
Q. If say, my girlfriend starts work before me, do I lose my rent allowance? The CWO (Welfare officer) told me over the phone, that she is then suppose to support me, therefor we lose the total E178pw rent allowance.
If thats the case, there is no incentive for my girlfriend to work as she will probably earn E340pw and with our allowance of E178pw and her unemployment benifit of E82pw, thats a total loss per week of E260 so she works a 40hr week for E80 extra!!!
We only need allowance until we both get jobs and it is unlikely we both start work at the same time.
Appreciate if someone could answer...


----------



## rainyday (20 Jan 2004)

Hi there - I don't know the answer to your question. See  for more details, though it doesn't seem to provide an answer to your specific question. I'd guess that the CWO should have a good understanding of the rules of the scheme. Have you any particular reason to think that the CWO is wrong?

I understand your concern, but remember that you will still be 80 euro better off when working, so you don't really have a lot to worry about. Given our low unemployment rates, I would have thought that you should find it fairly easy to get an entry-level job - even if it is a low-paying casual labour. It is generally a lot easier to get a better job once you have any job at all, so you & your girlfriend may well be able to increase your income over a few months with a bit of hard work. 

What is the alternative for you - sit on welfare for ever? Not really much of a future there, is there?


----------



## Elcato (20 Jan 2004)

Agree with RD. The rent allowance is means tested so the total income is considered. As was pointed out your two combined wages would be a lot healthier than your present position.


----------



## <A HREF=http://pub145.ezboard.com/baskaboutmoney.s (20 Jan 2004)

> What is the alternative for you - sit on welfare for ever? Not really much of a future there, is there?



Unfair never said that was the intention... :rolleyes


----------



## rainyday (20 Jan 2004)

> Unfair never said that was the intention...


Which is why I put a question mark at the end of that sentence...

What is your problem with me suggesting to the poster that he needs to consider his alternative?


----------



## <A HREF=http://pub145.ezboard.com/baskaboutmoney.s (20 Jan 2004)

> What is your problem with me suggesting to the poster that he needs to consider his alternative?



My problem is that you are suggesting that he consider the alternative to something that you yourself seem to have assumed that he might have decided to do - and not something that he himself mentioned in the original post. Your post above was helpful but could have done without the irrelevant pontification...


----------



## rainyday (20 Jan 2004)

Pontification - Sheesh O, talk about pots & black kettles. Perhaps we should all run each post by you before posting to see if it meets your high standards? Who died & left you in charge?

As it happens, I made no assumption about what the poster had decided to do. I simply raised the issue of considering the alternative as a key factor in choosing the course of action.


----------



## <A HREF=http://pub145.ezboard.com/baskaboutmoney.s (20 Jan 2004)

As you yourself are so fond of saying:



> Attack an opinion by all means, but please don't attack the person expressing the opinion



www.askaboutmoney.com/posting.html#11


----------



## rainyday (20 Jan 2004)

Who are you kidding, O? There is no significant difference (in terms of attack) between your  :rolleyes  & your accusation of 'irrelevant pontification' and my response. If you can't stand the heat......

Anyway, life is too short to drag this one out any further, so I ain't gonna bother.


----------



## <A HREF=http://pub145.ezboard.com/baskaboutmoney.s (20 Jan 2004)

WHATEVER Dude.


----------



## Skinflint (20 Jan 2004)

*SCrap !*

It's great fun watching ClubMan (aka 0), and Rainyday go at it !!

With the mods scrapping like this, it's a wonder that anyone else would bother to post at all.

:rolleyes


----------

