Hi to everyone, this month’s Know Your Rights deals with the Help to Buy Scheme and Carers Allowance. It outlines the option and qualifying conditions.
We hope you find it interesting and helpful and if you need further help and explanation see contact details below.
Help to Buy Scheme
What Is the Help to Buy Scheme?
The Help to Buy (HTB) Scheme assists first-time buyers to purchase a newly-built house or
apartment. It is also available for once-off self-build homes.
It only applies to properties that cost €500,000 or less.
The HTB Scheme gives a refund of the income tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) you
have paid in Ireland over the previous 4 tax years.
How do I qualify?
To qualify, you must:
Be a first-time buyer. If you are buying (or self-building) the property with someone else,
they must also be a first-time buyer.
Buy or self-build a new residential property between 19 July 2016 and 31 December 2022.
Take out a mortgage of at least 70% of the purchase price. Cash buyers do not qualify.
Live in the property for 5 years from the date that it is habitable. HTB is not available for
investment properties.
Be fully tax-compliant for the 4 years immediately before your claim.
What do I get?
If you sign a contract for a new house, or draw down on a self-build mortgage, between 23 July
2020 and 31 December 2022, you can get an increased relief. This is known as the Enhanced Help to
Buy Scheme. You can claim relief on the lesser of:
€30,000
10% of the purchase price of the property
10% of the completion value of a self-build
The amount of income tax and DIRT you paid for the previous 4 years
The maximum payment is €30,000.
How can I apply?
There are 3 stages to the online application process:
1. The application stage: If you are a PAYE employee only, you can apply for the HTB Scheme
through Revenue’s MyAccount service. Or, if you are a self-assessed taxpayer, you can apply
through Revenue’s Online Service (ROS).
2. The claim stage: Once your application is approved you can make your claim using ROS or
MyAccount. You will need to provide documents about your mortgage and confirm details
about the property at this stage.
3. The verification stage: The information you have provided is verified by an eligible verifier.
This is the contractor if you are buying a new home, or your solicitor if you are building your
home.
How do I get the refund?
If you buy a new build, the refund is paid directly to the builder. If you self-build the property, the
refund is paid to a bank account you hold with your loan provider.
Read more about the Help to Buy Scheme on https://bit.ly/3O2jdxF or call us on 0818 07 4000
(Monday to Friday, 9 am to 8 pm.
You can contact your local centre by email or phone using the details:
T: 0818 07 6150 E: navan@citinfo.ie
Carer’s Allowance
I have recently become a carer for a family member. What is the Carer’s Allowance and can I get
it?
Answer: Carer's Allowance is a weekly social welfare payment for people who are caring for
someone who needs support because of their age, illness or disability.
The person you are caring for must be:
Age 16 or over and so incapacitated that they need full-time care and attention or
Under 16 and getting a Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA).
You must also be over 18 and:
Provide full-time care to a person who is not living in a hospital or other institution
Not be working, studying or training more than 18.5 hours a week
Live in Ireland and meet the Habitual Residence Condition (HRC)
Pass a means test – in a means test the Department of Social Protection examines all your
sources of income. Your income must be below a certain amount to get Carer’s Allowance.
Since 1 June 2022, the weekly income not taken into account in the means test for Carer's Allowance
increased from €332.50 to €350 for a single person, and from €665 to €750 for a couple. Capital (for
example, savings and investments) not taken into account also increased from €20,000 to €50,000.
How much is the Carer’s Allowance?
For carers aged under 66, the maximum weekly rate is:
Caring for 1 person – €224
Caring for 2 or more persons – €336
For carers aged 66 and over the maximum weekly rate is:
Caring for 1 person – €262
Caring for 2 or more persons – €393
The increase for a child dependant is €40 (full-rate) and €20 (half-rate) for a child under 12 and €48
(full-rate) and €24 (half-rate) for a child aged 12 and over.
Your payment is made up of a personal rate for yourself and extra amounts for any child
dependants. Carer's Allowance has no qualified adult payment.
How do I apply and where?
To apply, fill in a Carer’s Allowance application form for each person you are caring for and post it
to the Carer’s Allowance Section in the Department of Social Protection.
If you are applying for Carer’s Allowance for a child getting DCA, a doctor must fill in part of the form
and the person you are caring for must sign it.
You can get this form from your local Intreo Centre, Social Welfare Branch Office or Citizens
Information Centre.
Read more about the Carer’s Allowance on citizensinformation.ie
https://bit.ly/Carers_Allowance or call us on 0818 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9 am to 8 pm.
You can contact your local centre by email or phone using the details:
T: 0818 07 6150 E: navan@citinfo.ie
