Rent supplement calculating

K

kevp

Guest
I was wondering if anyone could give me some help.

Long story short, I was in a severe accident and have been left severely disabled, I don't know if I'll ever be able to work again but definitely won't for several years.

I am currently renting a place but am having to eat in to my savings very quickly, so I was thinking of looking about rent supplement allowance.

I have had a look over the calculations for it and think I may not get any but the calculations seem complicated so maybe I made a mistake so I was hoping that someone here who knows how to calculate it might give a look over to see if I'm right or not.

I'm on 188 SW
I live in Roscommon where the rent limit is 300.
I have 35000 in savings which I saved over several years before my accident, although I have several very large bills coming up so that may drop to closer to 25000 in a few months.

I know it may seem like a lot of savings but I'm trying to take it as easy as possible on it as I don't know if or when I'll be able to work again, so I am trying to think long term as its a tiny amount to break up for bills for over the next 30-40 years if I won't be able to work.


Thanks
 
Savings are assessed for SWA claims as follows:

First 5000 disregarded
Next 10000 assessed at 1 euro per 1000
Next 25000 assessed at 2 euro per 1000
Remainder assessed at 4 euro per 1000

In your case the assessment is:
First 5000 disregarded
Next 10000 assessed as 10 euro means
Remainder (20000) assessed as 20 euro means

Your total means from savings is currently 30 euro per week.

Single person households are required to pay a minimum contribution of 30 euro per week towards rent, plus any income in excess of the SWA rate (currently 186 euro pw).

In your case this is 30 (min contribution) + 2 (income above SWA) + 30 (means) = 62 pw.

Your weekly rent is 300 x 12 / 52 = 69.23 per week.

Entitlement to Rent Supplement is the weekly rent minus the amount you are expected to pay: 69.23 - 62 = 7.23 per week.

If your savings are reduced, your means will also reduce and your entitlement will increase.

You haven't specified which SW payment you are on - I'm guessing Illness Benefit or Disability Allowance from the 188 rate you mentioned. If you have not already applied, you should apply for Invalidity Pension, which is based on your PRSI contributions and a medical assessment. The rate of payment is slightly higher, and there are additional benefits such as the household benefits package which will help with electricity/gas, telephone and TV licence which you may qualify for.

You can get information on Invalidity Pension here:
http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW44/Pages/1WhatisInvalidityPension.aspx
 
Thank you for replying and the info on other benifits.



This is where I got a different number,

I got 35000 - first 5000 not counted=30000
next 10000 is 10
next 20000 is 2 per 1000 so 40

so 50 euro means from savings or am I making a mistake?
 
My apologies, kevp - you are correct and I am wrong in my calculations.

Yes, your means will be 50 euro pw which would mean you don't currently qualify. But you might in the future if your savings reduce.
 
gipimann said:
My apologies, kevp - you are correct and I am wrong in my calculations.

Yes, your means will be 50 euro pw which would mean you don't currently qualify. But you might in the future if your savings reduce.
Click to expand...


No problem at all, thanks gipimann for your help and information.

Its a bit annoying that by having my savings to help me live day to day and cover emergencies(which I unfortunately regularly have), it means I don't get any extra help like rent supplement.
There's not really anything to help or encourage people to keep some savings as an emergency fund, I'm expected to use them, so at my current rate I'll have most of my savings used in a few years.
Then I can get extra help but I won't have a fall back so instead of having some savings to go to in an emergency I'll have no option but go to SW for more help which costs the state more.

Seems mad to me but maybe its just me.
 
SWA has the smallest disregard of all the means-tested schemes at 5,000 euro. For example, Jobseeker's Allowance has a disregard of 20,000 euro and Disability Allowance has a disregard of 50,000 euro.

So savings can be treated differently depending on the scheme being applied for.
 
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