The purpose of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme is to provide a basic weekly allowance to people who have little or no income. Any person living in the State who satisfies a means test may be eligible to receive assistance under the SWA scheme. While a person's primary social welfare or health board
payment is intended to cover the normal costs of food, assistance towards housing costs may be given in the form of rent supplement.
The purpose of rent supplements is to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible persons living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from another source. Rent supplements are normally calculated to ensure that the person, after the payment of rent has an income equal to the SWA rate less £6. This £6 represents the minimum contribution which recipients are required to pay from their own resources.
The health boards are required to set reasonable maximum rent levels for various household types as a basis for calculating the maximum amount of rent supplement payable in each area under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The limits are set by the health board using local knowledge as to what constitutes a reasonable rent for private rented accommodation for various household types within and across the health board area.
These maximum rent levels are reviewed regularly to take account of the actual fluctuations in accommodation costs observed in each area. The health board must also satisfy itself that accommodation is generally available within these limits.
When accommodation is no longer available within these limits, rent levels are reviewed and revised upwards by the health board. The South-Eastern Health Board reviewed their current rent levels during the year and the increases were applied from 1 July 1999.
