Finian McGrath
Question:726 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will support the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [48328/09]
View answerTuesday, 19 January 2010
Questions (662)
Written answers
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on behalf of the department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The purpose of the scheme is to provide short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source.
A person is not excluded from rent supplement where the accommodation is owned by a family member, provided a bona fide tenancy exists, the person has a housing need and the rent payable is within prescribed limits. Each application for rent supplement is decided by a community welfare officer on the basis of its own merits and in accordance with the relevant legislative provisions governing the scheme.
The person concerned should contact the community welfare services and provide full details of her proposed tenancy and personal circumstances if she wishes to establish whether she may have an entitlement to rent supplement.