Triumph for wordsmiths
WORDSMITHS FROM all over Ireland flocked to Hotel Curracloe for a summer Scrabble tournament, hosted by Menapia Scrabble club.
Up to 30 players, hailing from Dublin, Belfast, Galway, Cork and Waterford attended the event which is being held for the first time this year.
Tournament director John Ryan said they hoped to continue the event in the future. Wexford Scrabble clubs had, he said, been hosting tournaments for over 20 years.
‘We got to tournaments around the country and players from those areas come to ours. The next tournament is in Waterford in September.’
Games took place over two days, with each competitor playing 14 games. At the end of that, the players with the most games won, by the most points, were awarded first, second and third prize.
While the winner of the tournament was the reigning champion Kevin McMahon, from Dublin, there was some joy for Wexford as Feargal Weatherhead, from New Ross, took second place and Theresa Scallan from Curracloe was third.
Wexford currently has two clubs: Wexford Scrabble Club in Castlebridge has been in existence for over 20 years while the Menapia Scrabble Club, based in Wexford town, was founded about ten years ago.
Mr Ryan said the game had increased in popularity yearon-year.
‘More and more people are playing Scrabble on their phones and tablets so the challenge for us is to entice people away from the screen and to the table.’
The Menapia club meets every Tuesday night from 8 p.m. in Sinnott’s Bar, Bishopswater. All are welcome to come along, have a chat and enjoy some Scrabble.
Home renovation incentive scheme
My partner and I own our home and want to extend it this year. Would we qualify for a tax credit for the work, and if so, how do we apply?
The Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) scheme lets homeowners, landlords and local authority tenants claim tax relief on the cost of repairs, renovations or improvement works carried out on their main home or rental property.
To qualify for the HRI, you must be paying income tax and be up to date with your Local Property Tax (LPT). The work must be carried out by a contractor who is registered for Value Added Tax ( VAT) and is tax-compliant.
Any repair, renovation or improvement work subject to VAT at 13.5% qualifies for the scheme, so your proposed extension would be covered. Work that is subject to VAT at 23% (such as architect’s fees) is not covered. Neither are items such as furniture, white goods or carpets.
The HRI is paid as a tax credit at 13.5% of the cost, effectively reducing the rate of VAT on qualifying work to zero. The qualifying work must cost at least €4,405 before VAT at 13.5% (€5,000 including VAT). The credit can be claimed up to a maximum of €30,000 (before VAT) of the total cost of works.
The work must be carried out and paid for before 31 December 2018. However, this can be extended if you need planning permission. If this is the case, planning permission must be in place by 31 December 2018. You will then have until 31 March 2019 to complete the work.
To apply for the HRI, your contractor(s) must enter details of the work and payments on the HRI online system on revenue. ie. You should access the system to check that these details have been entered correctly. You claim the credit after the end of the tax year in which you have the work done. In general, the tax credit is applied over the two years following the year in which the work is carried out and paid for.
Further information is available from the Citizens Information Service below.
Household benefits package
I’m in my 70s and live alone. Is it there any support available to help me with my household running costs?
The Household Benefits Package may help with the costs of running your household. The package is available to everyone aged over 70 and to some people under 70. It is paid by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP).
The package includes an electricity or gas allowance and a Free Television Licence. The electricity or gas allowance pays €35 per month (€1.15 per day) towards the cost of either your electricity or gas supply (you cannot get an allowance for both). It is paid to your bank or post office account or as a credit on your bill. You can get the Free Television Licence from the next renewal date of your licence after you qualify for the package.
Only one person in a household can qualify for the package. You must be living in the State all year round, and you will need to show that you are the registered gas or electricity consumer, for example, by providing a utility bill.
People aged between 66 and70 may also qualify if they are getting a qualifying payment, such as the State Pension. If they are not getting a qualifying payment, they must satisfy a means test. You qualify if you are getting Carer’s Allowance and providing full-time care to a person you are living with. You may also qualify if you are getting certain social welfare payments and living alone or living with certain people, for example, a qualified adult or child or with someone who would qualify for the allowance in their own right. To apply, use form HB1 (pdf ) from welfare.ie. The form is also available from your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office or from your nearest Citizens Information Service.
Further information is available from the Citizens Information Service below.