John McGuinness
Question:109 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will review the rent allowance allocated to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow. [31978/01]
Written Answers. - Private Rented Accommodation.
The supplementary welfare allowance, SWA, scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of rent or mortgage interest to any person 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 neither I nor my Department have any function in deciding individual cases.
Supplements are normally calculated to ensure that the person, after payment of rent or mortgage interest, has an income equal to the rate of SWA appropriate to the family circumstances, less £6 or 7.62. This £6 or 7.62 represents the minimum contribution which people are required to pay from their own resources towards their accommodation cost. In addition to the minimum contribution, applicants are required to contribute any assessable means in excess of the appropriate SWA rate.
Each health board is required to set reasonable maximum rent levels in respect of various classes of persons e.g. single persons, couples, lone parents with one child, etc. as a basis for calculating the amount of rent supplement payable. The limits are set 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 by the boards to take account of fluctuations in accommodation costs observed in each area. When accommodation is no longer available within these limits, rent levels are reviewed and revised upwards, at the initiative of the health boards, in the light of their experience in dealing with claims for rent supplement.
The South-Eastern Health Board were contacted on behalf of the individual concerned and have advised that she is in receipt of the maximum amount of rent supplement payable to someone in her circumstances. The board has further advised that she is paying rent which is in excess of the appropriate maximum rent level. When she made her application for a rent supplement the community welfare officer advised her that she should attempt to secure more reasonably priced accommodation and explained that the assessment would be based on the appropriate maximum rent level applicable in the health board. Details of how the amount of rent supplement in payment was calculated are shown in the following tabular statement.
Applicant Income
|
OPFP (1 Adult and 1 Child) |
£100.70 (127.86) |
|
less SWA rate |
£97.20 (123.42) |
|
Means in excess of SWA rate |
£3.50 (4.44) |
|
Plus minimum contribution |
£6.00 (7.62) |
|
Applicants contribution to rent costs |
£9.50 (12.06) |
|
Maximum Rent Level |
£100.00 (126.97) |
|
Applicants contribution |
£9.50 (12.06) |
|
Rent supplement payable |
£90.50 (114.91) |