Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 November 2012
133. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to concerns raised by the National Advocacy Service that community welfare officers are not willing to pay rent supplement to persons with disabilities who are leaving residential care; her views on whether this is making independent living impossible for some; and her response to same. [49856/12]
View answerThere are currently approximately 89,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement, with €436 million provided by the Government for 2012. I am aware of the comment made by the National Advocacy Service. There are no specific exemptions to qualification for rent supplement for persons with disabilities with all customers being treated equally. Entitlement to rent supplement is subject to a number of qualifying conditions, one of which is that at the time of application for a rent supplement a claimant must:
- have been residing in private rented accommodation, accommodation for homeless persons or in an institution for 6 months within the preceding 12 months of the date of claim, or have had an assessment of housing need carried out within the 12 months preceding the date of claim and have been deemed by a housing authority to be eligible for and in need of social housing support.
Rent supplement is payable where a person has left institutional care and satisfies the conditions of the scheme. If the person concerned requires specialised housing due to the nature of their condition Department officials are empowered to pay rent supplement in excess of the prescribed rent limits, thereby fully supporting independent living.
There have been instances where applications for rent supplement have been made where the applicants have either remained in intuitional care or have moved from one institution to another. Rent supplement is not payable where an applicant is resident in an institution. An institution is defined as a hospital, convalescent home or home for persons suffering from physical or mental disability or accommodation ancillary thereto and any other similar establishment providing residence, maintenance or care for the persons therein.
Under these circumstances, the responsibility for meeting the accommodation needs of the person concerned would be met by the body or organisation which is providing the maintenance and care of the individual.
