Affordable Housing - why the higher limit for couples?

T

Thrifty

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I have been interested in the affordable housing scheme and was going to join it about two years ago before a small rise in my wages put me just over the limit. i have since bought myself but my siblings are hopping to go on the scheme. What annoys and buggs me about the scheme is why the limit is €100,000 earnings for couples in comparison to €40,000.00 for single people.

I have considered it and can't really work out any real reason why. Are single people less deserving of having a home of their own? being single myself i notice that not only are we made in certain situations feel inadequate for being single but we seem to get a bit of a raw deal in other situations - holidays etc. Perhaps i have missd something and someone can enlighten me.
 
I agree with you Thrifty (apart from feeling 'inadequate' for being single - god forbid!).

In addition, if you have children i.e. need to provide them with a stable home, you are still assessed as a single earner, giving the advantage to the double income no kids applicants. Are they more deserving of a home than the children of an unmarried parent?
To my knowledge (I'm open to contradication) having children would bump you up the list to get a council house, but not if you are trying your best to actually buy one yourself.
 
Maybe they assume that couples are more likely to have kids and thus higher living expenses or something? Why not ask the Local Authority?
 
You are correct in that the limit for a couple is EUR 100,000 but in the caluclation there is a max of 2.5 times the higher earners salary plus the lower salary. So, if both earn EUR28,500, then they are just about within the limits (28,500*2.5 + 28,500). If the higher earns lets say 30,000 and the lower earns say 26,000 then the couple exceeds the limit by 1,000 (30,000*2.5 + 26,000)
 
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Huh? Where? It states clearly that it's an income limit, not some bizarre notional manipulation of two incomes. Are you sure you're not confusing mortgage calculations with income criteria?

I stand corrected. Pugwall is the Oracle (bows deeply to cover blushes), and the Council is quite quite mad.
 
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What is the income limit?
"Single applicant to have earned less than €40,000 in 2005. Joint applicants to have earned less than €100,000 in 2005 (calculated on 2.5 times the main salary + the second salary)."

[broken link removed]
 
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pugwall said:
What is the income limit?
"Single applicant to have earned less than €40,000 in 2005. Joint applicants to have earned less than €100,000 in 2005 (calculated on 2.5 times the main salary + the second salary)."

[broken link removed]
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That is really weird. So actually, it's not an income limit, it is a bizarre notional manipulation of two incomes.

Fair enough - I did think a dual income of €100k seemed incredibly high to be considered for affordable housing.

I have a real problem with them calling that an income limit. It's just inaccurate and misleading. "Joint Salary Eligibility Criterion" maybe?
 
In case i gave the wrong impression I personally in many ways enjoy being single - its more i've come up in situations lately - attending weddings (alot this year), booking holidays etc where i've almost had looks of pity because i'm single - which has been extremely annoying.

Anyway in relation to the affordable housing i'm even more confused now. it says its calculated on 2.5 times the main salary and the secondary salary. Say the main salary is €50,000 and the secondary €40,000 then 2.5 this would be €225,000. Am i doing it wrong????
 
Thrifty said:
it says its calculated on 2.5 times the main salary and the secondary salary. Say the main salary is €50,000 and the secondary €40,000 then 2.5 this would be €225,000. Am i doing it wrong????
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2.5*€50k + €40k = €165k

(2.5 times the main salary) + the secondary salary

Not 2.5 times the salaries combined.
 
Its (2.5 * Main Salary) + Second Salary
(2.5 * 50000) + 40000 = 165,000
 
Doesn't this mean Berni that if the main salary was €40,000 and the secondary salary was €10,000 they wouldn't actually qualify. (2.5 *40000) + 10000 = 110,000. I'm afraid the calculation just doesn't make sense to me.
 
Thrifty said:
if the main salary was €40,000 and the secondary salary was €10,000 they wouldn't actually qualify. (2.5 *40000) + 10000 = 110,000.
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Exactly. Whereas if they earned the same 50K as 30,000 & 20,000 they would qualify. (95,000)
 
Thrifty said:
Doesn't this mean Berni that if the main salary was €40,000 and the secondary salary was €10,000 they wouldn't actually qualify. (2.5 *40000) + 10000 = 110,000. I'm afraid the calculation just doesn't make sense to me.
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Yes, it does mean that.

Logic and sense aren't part of the criteria for making these rules .
 
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