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Social Welfare Benefits.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 January 2005

Wednesday, 26 January 2005

Questions (467, 468, 469)

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

531 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount of rent allowance payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare. [2161/05]

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Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

543 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason rent allowance has been reduced in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1176/05]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 531 and 543 together.

Rent and mortgage interest supplements are provided for under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Under standard assessment rules, rent supplements are calculated to ensure that an eligible 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 of €13 that each recipient is required to pay from his or her resources. In addition to the minimum contribution, each recipient is also required to contribute any assessable means he or she has over and above the appropriate supplementary welfare allowance rate.

Supplementary welfare allowance is not normally payable to people engaged in full-time employment. Arrangements have been in place for a number of years, however, which allow people to retain a portion of their rent supplement when they take up employment through approved schemes such as community employment, subject to a weekly household income limit of €317.43. In such cases, the supplement may be retained on a tapered basis, such as 75% in the first year, 50% in the second year and 25% in the third and fourth years. Participants in community employment schemes have the option of being assessed for rent supplement purposes under standard or special retention rules, depending on which option is more favourable in each instance.

The Dublin and mid-Leinster office of the Health Service Executive was contacted about the case in question. It has advised that the amount of rent supplement paid to the relevant person up to the end of January 2004 was based on her income from one-parent family payment. After the woman in question started a community employment scheme, her rent supplement was reviewed to take account of the change in her household income. Her entitlement was assessed under the standard and tapered retention rules. At the time the tapered retention assessment was found to be more beneficial to her and she retained 75% of the supplement that had been paid to her before she started the community employment scheme. On this basis, she received a supplement of €664.40 per month.

The Health Service Executive has further advised that the person concerned will begin the second year of her community employment shortly. Her rent supplement is due to be reviewed accordingly in the coming weeks. The amount of rent supplement payable to her will be determined following this review, taking account of all relevant information including her payment rate, her rent level and any other income she might have.

Bernard Allen

Question:

532 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason the Southern Health Board is refusing to pay a rent allowance under the supplementary welfare Act to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [34271/04]

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Rent supplements are provided through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare staff of the Health Service Executive. The southern regional office of the executive was contacted about this case. It has advised that it does not have a record of an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. If she wishes to apply, she should contact the community welfare officer at her local health centre, who will carry out an assessment of her circumstances to determine if she satisfies the conditions for receipt of rent supplement.

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