Review rules call as dad refused rent allowance

A Donacarney father is facing homelessness this winter as he has been refused rent allowance by the HSE. Michael McGirr was made redundant in September, but despite surviving on social welfare, he has been refused rent allowance because he owns a share of a capital asset - the house his ex-wife lives in. "I've been in the house three-and-a-half years and have custody of my son for three days of the week, but since I lost my job, I can no longer pay the rent," he said. "I am just getting the single person's jobseekers' allowance and cannot afford to pay rent out of that." Mr McGirr explained that the family home is up for sale, but in the current climate, it isn't selling. "I was only a short time in my last job so I had no redundancy and, without rent allowance, I cannot afford to pay the rent, even though my landlord reduced the rent recently," he added. "I have worked and paid taxes for the past 22 years here in Ireland, but I may now have to return home to live with my parents," he said. Mr McGirr excplained that his parents live in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, and moving back in with them after 22 years would mean moving away from his son and a change in his custody arrangements. He has appealed the HSE's decision in the hope that he can continue to live in Donacarney. Senator Dominic Hannigan is calling for a review of the rules governing rent allowance for people facing financial hardship through no fault of their own. He said said unemployment was impacting on all kinds of people and the country must have a social welfare system that is flexible enough to cope. "This loving dad, who shares the care of his son three days a week and coaches the football team in his local Donacarney, has been caught in a bureaucratic trap," said Senator Hannigan. The Labour senator said there are many people in this recession who are facing serious financial difficulty not of their own making. "We need a social welfare system that takes people's circumstances into consideration. It is not acceptable that people can't access help because of inflexible or outdated rules," he added. A spokesperson for the HSE said it does not comment on individual cases. She said the eligibility rules for rent supplement are published on the Department of Social and Family Affairs website - www.welfare.ie - and individuals had a right to appeal decisions made with regard to rent allowance. She said they should discuss the matter with their Community Welfare Officer and, if they are not satisfied, they can speak directly to the Superintendent Community Welfare Officer. If not satisfied with that, the next step is the completion of an appeals form, setting out the grounds on which they are appealing, and submitting it to the HSE Consumer Affairs Appeals Section. "An Appeals Officer will review the individual's case and will make a final decision in relation to the appropriate rent supplement," she said.