rent allowance ,supplementary rent allowance

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHATS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RENT ALLOWANCE AND supplementary rent allowance.i could make head nor tail of it in the socail welfare site. also....would anyone know what the allowance is with 2 children(age 3 and 8)(rent allowance)and if i can pay the difference in rent.

thanks

Rent Supplement is part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme. It is administered by the HSE on behalf of the Dept of Social and Family Affairs. SWA has 3 major areas of payment
- a basic weekly payment to persons who have no income and meet certain criteria
- supplements to a person's Social Welfare income to meet certain needs (e.g. Rent, Mortgage, Diet)
- Exceptional Needs Payments to meet a once-off unforeseen need.

Rent Supplement is not the same as Rent Allowance (though it's colloqually called such), which can lead to confusion for people using the Welfare website and looking up "Rent Allowance".

There are maximum rent limits set for each county for different family sizes, so the amount you might receive depends on where you are renting as well as on what income you're receiving. Rent Supplement cannot be paid if the rent you are charged exceeds the limit for that particular county.

You are required to pay a minimum contribution of €13 per week towards your rent - you may have to pay more depending on your income.

Your best bet is to contact a Community Welfare Officer in the area you intend renting in, to get exact figures on your entitlement to Rent Supplement.

Here's the link to Rent Supplement on the Welfare website - the maximum rent limits are in section 5 of the page.

thank you.so.with 2 children in my area i can get 1,200.i do not work and claim loan parent.you have been a big help.Thank you.

Just to clarify - €1200 is not the amount you can get in Rent Supplement, it's the maximum rent which will qualify for Rent Supplement. There is the minimum contribution (€13 per week) which you have to pay as I mentioned in my earlier post.

yup i understand . thanks