Vol. 526 No. 2
103 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when rent support will be restored in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who has a dependent child, unpaid rent and the threat of eviction; if full lone parent family allowance has been terminated; if alternative means of subsistence can be offered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26209/00]
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of rent payable to persons in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the Health Boards and my Department has no function in deciding entitlement in individual cases.
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.
The person concerned received a rent supplement up to the end of September. Their rent supplement was suspended from that date as their claim was under investigation. A decision on whether the rent supplement should be restored will be made when this investigation is complete.
The person concerned is currently in receipt of one-parent family payment of £100.70 per week which is the maximum rate payable to a person with one dependent child. This total includes a fuel allowance payment of £8 per week. Their entitlement to one-parent family payment is currently under review. When this review is completed the person concerned will be notified of the outcome without delay.
