Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 May 2004
201 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the details of the mechanism by which persons in receipt of the lone parent allowance have their rent allowance reduced if they take up part-time employment; and if there are regional differences in the way in which this calculated. [13026/04]
View answerRent supplements, which are provided for under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, are subject to a means test and are normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to his or her family circumstances, less a minimum contribution, currently €13, which recipients are required to pay from their own resources.
In addition to the minimum contribution, recipients are also required to contribute towards their rent, any additional assessable means that they have over and above the appropriate basic supplementary welfare allowance rate.
In the case of a rent supplement recipient who takes up part-time employment the means test provides for a disregard of up to €50 per week. However, any additional income above the €50 is assessable in full and will have the effect of reducing the amount of rent supplement payable.
The maximum amount of rent supplement payable varies between health boards in recognition of the regional differences in rent levels. However, the €50 disregard, which is a standard feature of the rent supplement means test, is not subject to regional variations.
