The impact of the measures introduced in the rent supplement scheme was fully assessed and the manner of their implementation was carefully designed to ensure that the interests of vulnerable groups such as the homeless, the elderly and disabled were fully protected.
It is not possible to quantify precisely the numbers affected by the measures. However, 27,229 applications for rent supplement were awarded since the end of January when the new measures came into effect. This figure includes first time applicants as well as people who move to new accommodation.
The impact of the measures is being closely monitored. In addition to ongoing contacts between my Department and the health boards, a working group was established under the Sustaining Progress agreement, to facilitate engagement with the social partners with regard to monitoring the impact of the changes to the scheme. The working group, which was chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, included representatives from ICTU and the community and voluntary pillar as well as my Department and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
A study of 498 randomly selected rent supplement applications which were refused since the measures came into effect in January 2004 found that only 11% of the refusals were because of the new measures and many of these cases would have been refused in any event. The group concluded that, based on the examination of the sample cases and discussions with community welfare officers, the new measures were not having any significant, adverse impacts having regard to the design of the measures, including the operation of the appropriate levels of discretion by the community welfare officers.