I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 55 together.
Under the social welfare system, homeless people have entitlements to the full range of social welfare schemes, including supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) and associated supplements, subject to the normal qualifying conditions. The Department, through its work in the Homeless Persons Unit and the Asylum Seekers & New Communities Unit, also provides assistance to people in sourcing the most appropriate accommodation available. In addition, prison and hospital in-reach services are provided to explore accommodation options and, where necessary, liaising with local authorities to identify and source the most appropriate accommodation available for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This ensures that where possible, people are diverted away from homeless services and towards community-based supports.
The SWA scheme provides a once off payment to help with the cost of any exceptional needs a person may have which they could not reasonably be expected to meet from their own resources. Statistics are not available on the number of applications for exceptional needs payments (ENPs) prompted where a person or family has become homeless. Under the ENP scheme assistance may be provided towards rent deposits. This form of assistance is very important to those on low incomes who are at risk of, or who are homeless, or who rely on the private rented market to meet their housing needs. The number of exceptional needs payments (ENPs) in respect of rent deposits for the years 2010 to September 2013 are provided in the attached tabular statement.
The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term 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. There are approximately 82,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €403 million in 2013. The Department completed a review of the maximum rent limits for rent supplement earlier this year and the revised rent limits came into effect on 17 June 2013. The emphasis of the review was to ensure that value for money is achieved whilst at the same time ensuring that people on rent supplement are not priced out of the market for private rented accommodation. The review broadly reflects the new market trends with rises in rent limits in County Dublin and Galway with the majority of rural counties falling. Special provisions are made in exceptional circumstances including, for example, people with disabilities in specially adapted accommodation or homeless persons.
The Department’s strategic policy direction is to return rent supplement to its original purpose of a short term income support. In July 2013 the Government approved the introduction of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). Under HAP, responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with a long-term housing need will transfer from the Department of Social Protection to local authorities. Officials in the Department of Social protection are working with those in the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, who are leading the project, in developing proposals to give effect to this transfer. Under HAP, customers with assessments of a long term housing need who would otherwise receive rent supplement will be taken directly into HAP. There is no evidence to suggest that rent supplement policy is increasing the incidence of homelessness. Policy in relation to housing is a matter for the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.
The number of ENP’s in respect of rent deposits for the years 2010 to September 2013
|
Year
|
No of Claimants
|
Expenditure
|
|
2010
|
8,700
|
€4.5m
|
|
2011
|
7,500
|
€3.8m
|
|
2012
|
5,600
|
€2.6m
|
|
2013*
|
3,400
|
€1.6m
|
* as of 30 September 2013
