# senior citizen allowance



## snowy (16 Aug 2007)

my mother gets an allowance for esb, telephone etc as shes 70. My dad died recently and Im moving home to keep her company.

Ill be moving my tax address there  , so does anyone know how me living there will affect her allowances? 

I just want to make sure i compensate her for any loss. I know she'll lose the living alone allowance but will she loose the others. I work full time if that makes any difference and dont own my own home, i wouldnt be renting anywhere else either

thanks in advance


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## ClubMan (16 Aug 2007)

Sorry to hear about your bereavement. I don't think that the Household Benefits Package is subject to any means test or would be impacted by you moving home.


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## snowy (16 Aug 2007)

thanks for the quick reply, clubman
thats the link ive been looking for


sorry for posting in the wrong section


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## NewLifeBegin (24 Aug 2007)

*Yes this is the Household benefits Package.  I currently receive this as I am a Home Carer at present.  *
*She will lose this benefit now, as the qualifying conditions will change once you move in.  Here is the link to the conditions.  Hope it helps you.*

http://www.welfare.ie/foi/hbp.html
*If you scroll down to part 4 you will find the conditions*​


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## busymam (25 Aug 2007)

NewLifeBegin said:


> *She will lose this benefit now, as the qualifying conditions will change once you move in. Here is the link to the conditions. Hope it helps you.*​
> 
> http://www.welfare.ie/foi/hbp.html​
> *If you scroll down to part 4 you will find the conditions*​


 
This is not true. The OP says that their mother is over 70. A person over this age *is* entitled to the Household Benefits Package regardless of who lives in the house. The only stipulation is that the bills (phone and gas/ESB) are in her name. This was introduced a few years ago.


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## shaking (25 Aug 2007)

My 90 year old gran lives with my mum she gets the phone, esb, tv and fuel allowance as busymam says they just need to be in the older persons name


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## gipimann (25 Aug 2007)

Here are the qualifying conditions for the household benefits package for a person over 70, taken from the Welfare website.

Applicant must be permanently residing (that is, on an all-year-round basis) at the address at which they wish the allowance to be applied.
AND No other person in their household can be in receipt of the allowance.
AND The applicant must be the registered consumer of electricity/gas if s/he is applying for an Electricity Allowance or Natural Gas Allowance. The applicant must be the registered telephone account holder if s/he is applying for a Telephone Allowance. 

Snowy, your mother will not lose any of the benefits she has - the bills must be in her name.

The condition for living alone only applies to persons under 70.


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## NewLifeBegin (27 Aug 2007)

Here... if you's all go to the web link you will see where I read the information posted!

There is one for over 70 which qualifies.  I know that!  
But also there is one for the age of 66 - 70 yrs old.. 
I gave the link for the lady to read for herself, as it tells you everything you need to know.  
I know that you can get refused even if you qualify.  Its happened twice to me..  

Least ya's are all helping out... that's all that matters
   ​


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## ClubMan (27 Aug 2007)

The original poster's mother is 70+ so, as per the link that you posted, she will not lose the benefit as you originally stated


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## Guest124 (25 Oct 2007)

Electricity or Natural Gas allowance? Which is worth the most provided you would actually use all the free units?


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## eggerb (20 Feb 2008)

BroadbandKen said:


> Electricity or Natural Gas allowance? Which is worth the most provided you would actually use all the free units?


 
Happened to be looking at this tonight. Have started a new thread here.


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## Guest124 (19 Jul 2008)

My Mother got a call from somebody today claiming to be from Eircom and saying that as she is on the social welfare telephone allowance eircom have been instructed to post her out a new phone. My mother said it seemed a bit strange but she said ok and he said the phone will be posted out next week. He didn't ask for any credit card details or anything like that. I checked the phone after and it showed the number 800207407 so I phoned 1800-207-407 and got a message this is eircom sales we are closed etc. 

I take it's just me being totally paranoid. Any views? When the Government is tightning its belts and yet they are instructing to give out free phones when you didnt even go looking for one - strange.


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## Guest124 (20 Jul 2008)

After some searching I found this link and it seems it is eircom so I'll wait and see. Eircom have messed my Mother around in the past with changing her package when she never wanted it changed and sending out two phones instead of one years ago and charging a postage fee when brochure said it was free. I hope this is genuine.


http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=97270


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## ClubMan (20 Jul 2008)

Make sure that the plan isn't for them to send out a new handset and then unnecessarily start charging equipment rental to your mother or _SW_.


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## Guest124 (20 Jul 2008)

Her current phone is rented and it shows: cordless phone rental 0.00 on her Bill along with some free calls and 42.82 credit.


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## ClubMan (20 Jul 2008)

OK - forgot that the _SW _allowance covers equipment rental.


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## Guest124 (29 Aug 2008)

Surprise,surprise - Mother get's eircom bill still showing o.oo rental and now a second €4.42 phone rental charge. They even enclose a booklet which clearly states about buying the phone she got or it's FREE rental. They can expect a call. I wonder how many o.a.p.'s they have pulled this stunt on without the person realising - disgusting!


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## ClubMan (29 Aug 2008)

I don't understand - as I posted above the _SW _scheme covers equipment rental doesn't it? 

I was just thinking about this the other day - the possibility that many people are still paying equipment (not line) rental for phones they have since (many years ago) replaced with their own handsets and also the specific case of _SW _paying such charges unnecessarily to _eircom_ for _OAPs _who have done the same.


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## Guest124 (29 Aug 2008)

It look's like eircom have just automatically added on the charge for renting the phone yet the guy from eircom that phoned my Mother clearly stated social welfare instructed eircom to send out a new phone and no charge. I bet you will get the "oh it's a computer error -sorry about that storyline" when she ring's.They better not try the "oh yes your first phone rental is FREE and covered by SW but now you have a second phone and you must pay" - sorry guys no chance of that - local T.D.,solicitor etc etc.


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## Black Sheep (30 Aug 2008)

To clubman
I don't understand where you are coming from re SW paying for equipment rental. Quote from SW website "The telephone allowance provides a payment towards the Phone bill.  The value of the allowance is €42.80 plus vat or €51.80 inc. vat per 2 monthly bill". There is no mention of equipment rental.

The customer is free to rent equipment, broadband whatever he choses and the SW payment will remain the same


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## Complainer (30 Aug 2008)

snowy said:


> Ill be moving my tax address there  , so does anyone know how me living there will affect her allowances?


Sorry for your loss. I'm just curious to know what is meant by 'moving my tax address'? I wasn't aware that we had seperate tax addresses.


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## Guest124 (6 Sep 2008)

"oh yes your first phone rental is FREE and covered by SW but now you have a second phone and you must pay" - As I predicted I got this line from the agent when I phoned them during the week. I had to repeat myself that they phoned me and offered a FREE phone courtesy of the Social Welfare. I had to send the phone back. Does anybody have a valid e-mail address for eircom Customer service? PM it to me if you dont want to make it public.


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