Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 October 2012
365. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if rent supplement is now being paid in arrears rather than in advance in view of the fact that this is putting persons under significant pressure. [43261/12]
View answerThe purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from another source. The overall aim is to provide short-term assistance and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. There are currently approximately 90,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement, for which the Government has provided €436m in 2012.
Rent supplement is payable in arrears and there has been no change to this payment arrangement. Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, a payment for rent in advance can be made as an exceptional needs payment. An exceptional needs payment may be made to help meet an essential once-off cost, which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment and each application is determined by the officer administering the SWA scheme based on the particular circumstances of the case taking account of the nature and extent of the need. Such payments are confined to occurrences which are considered to be unexpected, unforeseen or exceptional.
This flexibility ensures that individuals with particular needs can be accommodated within the scheme and specifically protects against homelessness.
