# Disability and rent allowance



## colc (30 Oct 2012)

I was just wondering if someone on the DA can apply for rent allowance in any county council area?  A buddy of mine has always lived at home but its probably time he moved out.. he's pushing 40!  Be great for any info.

Many thanks,

Colc


----------



## gipimann (30 Oct 2012)

The rules for qualifying for Rent Supplement can be found on this page on the SW website:

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/SupplementaryWelfareAllowance/Pages/RentSupplement.aspx

The person cannot be considered for Rent Supplement unless he has either been renting privately (and paying the rent) for 6 of the previous 12 months or has been assessed by the local authority in the area he wishes to live as having a housing need and be on the housing list.

If he meets that rule, then there are maximum rent limits in place - he cannot get rent supplement if he rents property for more than the limit.


----------



## colc (30 Oct 2012)

gipimann said:


> The rules for qualifying for Rent Supplement can be found on this page on the SW website:
> 
> The person cannot be considered for Rent Supplement unless he has either been renting privately (and paying the rent) for 6 of the previous 12 months or has been assessed by the local authority in the area he wishes to live as having a housing need and be on the housing list.
> 
> If he meets that rule, then there are maximum rent limits in place - he cannot get rent supplement if he rents property for more than the limit.


 
I know about the limits alright myself I was more thinking of where is he allowed live is he confined to his own original council area? Thanks for the response anyway... I think he was told he could get the allowance already because he has not worked for years other than a few CE schemes... anymore feedback would be great thanks.


----------



## gipimann (30 Oct 2012)

He is not restricted to any particular council area, but he must have been assessed as having a housing need by that council area and be on their housing list before being able to apply for Rent Supplement (if he has not been renting privately for 6 of the past 12 months).


----------



## colc (14 Nov 2012)

I rang citizens informatio and asked for example if your rent sharing an apartment was €500 euro a month you get nothing towards rent allowance if you lose/leave your job....  In my council area the limit is €300 for sharing but there is no way in any part of this council area you could get somewhere to share for €300 as far as I can see....

Before I was under the impression in this scenario you would get €300 towards your rent and have to pay 50 a week ie 200 a month from your dole DA etc... which is right?   Seems mad if you lose your job and get nothing...  Especially if you've always been frugal say and have no debts...


----------



## queenlex (14 Nov 2012)

I was wondering about this too.. I did a daft search for places in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown and could find nowhere for under €300 for someone sharing??


----------



## gipimann (14 Nov 2012)

colc said:


> Before I was under the impression in this scenario you would get €300 towards your rent and have to pay 50 a week ie 200 a month from your dole DA etc... which is right?   Seems mad if you lose your job and get nothing...  Especially if you've always been frugal say and have no debts...



No, that's not how the rent limits and rent supplement works.

You will not get rent supplement if the amount of rent charged is higher than the maximum rent limit for the county & family size.  

If the rent is at or below the maximum, then the actual entitlement depends on the family size and the household income.   As a guide, a single person on Jobseekers or Disability Allowance will be required to pay €32 per week.   A couple (with or without children) on Jobseekers or Disability Allowance will be required to pay €37 per week.

These amounts assume no savings or other household income.


----------



## queenlex (14 Nov 2012)

So someone paying €500 in rent is suddenly out of work they get nothing but hypothetically rent is reduced to €300 they pay €32 as a single person and the 300 is paid by the state as such?  Its hard to get a clear answer when you ask anyone on the phone it seems... How is the rent allowance so low in an area as expensive as DLR how come people dont end up on the street?


----------



## thenumberone (15 Nov 2012)

Yeah sounds like something is not adding up there...  Are you sure its €300 limit for your council area.. sounds very little?


----------



## gipimann (15 Nov 2012)

queenlex said:


> So someone paying €500 in rent is suddenly out of work they get nothing but hypothetically rent is reduced to €300 they pay €32 as a single person and the 300 is paid by the state as such? Its hard to get a clear answer when you ask anyone on the phone it seems... How is the rent allowance so low in an area as expensive as DLR how come people dont end up on the street?


 
If the rent is reduced to €300 per month (€69.20 per week) and a single person is required to pay €32 per week, the Rent Supplement entitlement is 69.2 - 32 = 37.20 pw or €161.20 per month.

thenumberone,
The €300 limit is for a single person in shared accommodation in the Dublin area (except Fingal).  The rent limits are at the bottom of the webpage which I referred to in an earlier post.


----------



## thenumberone (15 Nov 2012)

gipimann said:


> If the rent is reduced to €300 per month (€69.20 per week) and a single person is required to pay €32 per week, the Rent Supplement entitlement is 69.2 - 32 = 37.20 pw or €161.20 per month.
> 
> thenumberone,
> The €300 limit is for a single person in shared accommodation in the Dublin area (except Fingal). The rent limits are at the bottom of the webpage which I referred to in an earlier post.


 
Thanks for this info gipiman very helpful... So basically its at the discretion of the landlord to reduce the rent for their tenant totally?  Under the rent a room is it the same amounts and does it work the same way?


----------

