Rent Allowance if not living in primary residence

If somebody owns half a house (relation has other half) which is their primary residence and they are not renting it out so are not deriving any income from it. However since they are living elsewhere in Ireland are they entitled to rent allowance & does the house have any bearing on how much they will receive.

Sierra said:

However since they are living elsewhere in Ireland are they entitled to rent allowance & does the house have any bearing on how much they will receive.

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I'm not sure about the rent allowance - but the fact that they own the house I would imagine - would be taken into account by welfare when calculating their benefit?
They probably are not entitled to rent allowance if they have a PPR? - just Mortgage interest supplement (these are questions - as much as anything else - can't confirm that with any degree of certainty right now - but hopefully someone else on here will be able to confirm either way)

One of the qualifying criteria for Rent Supplement is that a person who has not been renting privately for 6 of the previous 12 months (and been able to afford the rent at the time) must have been assessed as having a housing need by the local authority and be on the housing list - a person who has a property is unlikely to be assessed by the authority as having a housing need.

In a means test, the property is assessed based on its capital value - property value less the outstanding mortgage. Where the house is jointly owned, obviously this value would be halved.

gipimann said:

In a means test, the property is assessed based on its capital value - property value less the outstanding mortgage. Where the house is jointly owned, obviously this value would be halved.

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Hi Gipimann, thanks for your answer however I'm surprised because this person jointly owns one house which could be described as their primary residence. He/she lives there when he/she returns on holidays, otherwise he/she live in their rented accommodation elsewhere in Ireland.

I don't know what a PPR is?

Sierra

Principle Primary Residence

If the person doesn't rent full-time and still has access to use their own property, they may not be eligible for Rent Supplement. Why are they not living in their property if they can and do use it part-time? The circumstances of the case would have to be discussed with the SWA officer dealing with the Rent Supplement application.

There would have to be an assessment of the property made against the applicant if Rent Supplement were considered, and the only assessment is the one I've outlined - Capital value less outstanding mortgage.

gipimann said:

Why are they not living in their property if they can and do use it part-time?

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I presume because they feel they have more opportunities living elsewhere which is a long way from the property.