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Rent Supplement Scheme Administration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 January 2014

Tuesday, 28 January 2014

Questions (119, 121, 124, 130, 136)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

119. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of rent supplement supported tenancies that were reviewed downwards as per reductions in rent supplement maximum limits per county in 2011, 2012 and 2013; the value and percentage of rent per family reduced at each review stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3679/14]

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Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

121. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 11 of 28 November 2013, in relation to the national rent allowance caps, the results of her monitoring of rent levels; her views on whether the current rent allowance caps are sufficient to ensure that accommodation needs of those in need are met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3682/14]

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Catherine Murphy

Question:

124. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has recorded a reduction in the number of applications for rent supplement; her views on whether upward price pressures has resulted in families increasingly struggling to find homes available in the current property market that adhere to the rent supplement limits or below them; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that such a trend is excluding those dependent on social welfare from securing a family home; if updated statistics on the composition of the homeless lists have been provided to her to assist in the formulation of policy in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3680/14]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

130. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she is aware of the increasing level of hardship and threat of homelessness arising from the ongoing increase in the cost of private rented accommodation; the current maximum rent support available to those families on local authority housing lists who are dependent on private rental sector with support from her Department; if her attention has been drawn to the ongoing withdrawal of the private rental sector from this end of the market and the likelihood of a serious level of homelessness increasing on a daily basis, which, in turn, will lead to widespread and severe hardship; if any initiatives will be taken to address this issue which arises from the failure of her predecessors to invest in the public housing sector in view of the existence of circa 100,000 families on the various local authority housing lists throughout the country with particular reference to Dublin and the surrounding counties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3670/14]

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Mick Wallace

Question:

136. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Social Protection the analysis that has been carried out by her Department to determine if reductions in rent supplement have resulted in an increase in homelessness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3674/14]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 119, 121, 124, 130 and 136 together.

There are currently approximately 80,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Department has provided over €344 million for 2014. Almost 30,000 of these recipients are in the Dublin area,

The purpose of rent supplement 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. 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.

Revised rent limits under the rent supplement scheme have been implemented with effect from Monday 17 June 2013 and will be in place until 31 December 2014. The new rent limits were determined following an extensive review of the private rental market based on the most up-to-date data available. The purpose of the rent limit review is to ensure availability of accommodation for rent supplement tenancies and not to provide rent supplement tenants with access to all housing in all areas while ensuring that maximum value for money for tenants and the taxpayer is achieved.

There have been increases in the maximum rent limits in Dublin and Galway while there have been some reductions across a number of rural counties reflecting the conditions in the rental markets in those counties. Separate to the county limits, higher rent limits have been provided for in North Kildare and Bray areas. Statistics are not available in relation to the tenancies that were reviewed downwards as a result of reductions in rent supplement maximum limits. However, the attached tabular statement provides details of the changes in maximum rent limits for each county that came into effect following the rent reviews of January 2012 and June 2013. The current maximum rent limits for each county is also provided. Special provisions are made in exceptional circumstances including, for example, people with disabilities in specially adapted accommodation or homeless persons.

There has been a reduction in the number of recipients of rent supplement by almost 8,000 from December 2012 to the current date. Statistics are not maintained on the number of applications received for rent supplement.

The Department continues to monitor trends in the private rental market to determine the impact on rent supplement recipients. The fact that approximately 80,000 people are currently in receipt of rent supplement shows that a significant number of landlords are accommodating applicants of the scheme and that rent supplement recipients are able to access accommodation within the current limits. Department officials dealing with rent supplement tenants continue to make every effort to ensure that their accommodation needs are met and that the residence is reasonably suited to their residential and other needs.

Policy and analysis in relation to social housing provision and homelessness are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government. However this Department has a role in providing income support to persons who are homeless and is represented on the National Homelessness Consultative Committee. Under the social welfare system, homeless people have entitlements to the full range of social welfare schemes, including supplementary welfare allowance 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 works closely with local authorities and other stakeholders to facilitate homeless persons to access private rented accommodation. This ensures that where possible, people are diverted away from homeless services and towards community-based supports.

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 using HAP. 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. It is intended that the scheme will be piloted in early 2014 in Limerick local authority with further roll out to selected authorities during the year.

Table 1: Change in maximum rent limits from June 2010 to January 2012

County:

Single Shared

Couple Shared

Single

Couple

Couple/

One Parent Family - 1 Child

Couple/

One Parent Family - 2 Children

Couple/

One Parent Family - 3 Children

Dublin - Fingal

(€100)

(€60)

(€54)

(€120)

(€155)

(€175)

(€150)

Dublin - Not Fingal

(€90)

(€30)

(€54)

(€100)

(€55)

(€125)

(€150)

CARLOW

(€30)

(€50)

(€118)

(€50)

(€50)

(€75)

(€70)

CAVAN

(€35)

(€10)

(€43)

(€50)

(€50)

(€70)

(€60)

CLARE

(€30)

(€50)

(€57)

(€70)

(€100)

(€125)

(€150)

CORK

(€25)

(€10)

(€18)

(€35)

(€5)

(€50)

(€50)

DONEGAL

(€40)

(€40)

(€53)

(€105)

(€110)

(€100)

(€60)

GALWAY

(€25)

(€10)

(€18)

(€10)

(€20)

(€50)

(€35)

KERRY

(€45)

(€20)

(€42)

(€110)

(€30)

(€90)

(€50)

KILDARE

(€50)

(€35)

(€85)

(€100)

(€60)

(€125)

(€110)

KILKENNY

(€60)

(€70)

(€78)

(€90)

(€60)

(€75)

(€75)

LAOIS

(€35)

(€10)

(€17)

(€85)

(€70)

(€85)

(€60)

LEITRIM

(€15)

(€5)

(€68)

(€65)

(€50)

(€75)

(€100)

LIMERICK

(€35)

(€20)

(€56)

(€70)

(€105)

(€75)

(€50)

LONGFORD

(€35)

(€25)

(€45)

(€25)

(€60)

(€60)

(€70)

LOUTH

(€55)

(€6)

(€78)

(€99)

(€25)

(€85)

(€50)

MAYO

(€25)

(€10)

(€60)

(€55)

(€100)

(€125)

(€110)

MEATH

(€60)

(€5)

(€78)

(€100)

(€100)

(€90)

(€75)

MONAGHAN

(€15)

(€10)

(€68)

(€40)

(€20)

(€40)

(€25)

OFFALY

(€20)

(€20)

(€62)

(€85)

(€50)

(€50)

(€25)

ROSCOMMON

(€15)

€0

(€70)

(€50)

(€50)

(€70)

(€40)

SLIGO

(€25)

(€20)

(€67)

(€60)

(€20)

(€10)

(€50)

TIPPERARY NTH

(€65)

(€65)

(€62)

(€75)

(€140)

(€140)

(€130)

TIPPERARY STH

(€55)

(€35)

(€98)

(€30)

(€30)

(€105)

(€100)

WATERFORD

(€40)

(€30)

(€78)

(€70)

(€50)

(€110)

(€70)

WESTMEATH

(€30)

(€50)

(€17)

(€30)

(€50)

(€70)

(€70)

WEXFORD

(€30)

(€50)

(€78)

(€90)

(€60)

(€85)

(€70)

WICKLOW

(€75)

(€35)

(€89)

(€185)

(€225)

(€230)

(€170)

Note: Figures in brackets show a reduction in the rent limit for the category.

Table 2: Change in maximum rent limits from January 2012 to June 2013

County:

Single Shared

Couple Shared

Single

Couple

Couple/One Parent Family - 1 Child

Couple/One Parent Family - 2 Children

Couple/One Parent Family - 3 Children

Dublin - Fingal

€50

€20

€45

€50

€75

€75

€50

Dublin - Not Fingal

€50

€30

€45

€50

€75

€50

€50

Carlow

€25

(€17)

(€30)

(€15)

Cavan

(€15)

(€17)

Clare

(€30)

(€30)

(€50)

(€25)

Cork

(€10)

(€10)

€35

€10

Donegal

(€20)

(€15)

(€25)

(€40)

(€50)

(€50)

Galway

€50

€50

€25

€20

€25

€25

Kerry

(€20)

(€30)

(€60)

Kildare

(€20)

€10

€33

(€40)

(€25)

(€40)

Kilkenny

(€10)

Laois

(€50)

(€50)

(€30)

(€25)

(€20)

Leitrim

Limerick

(€20)

(€15)

(€30)

(€25)

(€50)

Longford

(€10)

(€25)

(€15)

(€50)

(€80)

Louth

(€15)

(€30)

(€30)

(€25)

(€25)

(€50)

Mayo

(€15)

(€10)

(€17)

(€10)

Meath

(€30)

(€10)

(€25)

Monaghan

(€80)

(€67)

(€75)

Offaly

€15

(€50)

(€65)

(€75)

Roscommon

€25

€25

(€20)

(€55)

Sligo

€60

Tipperary North

€20

€25

€25

€75

Tipperary South

(€25)

(€40)

(€40)

(€25)

Waterford

(€10)

(€10)

(€15)

(€10)

(€25)

(€40)

(€65)

Westmeath

(€20)

Wexford

€20

€20

(€15)

(€40)

(€40)

(€25)

(€15)

Wicklow

(€15)

(€75)

(€25)

(€60)

(€115)

North Kildare

€100

€75

€60

€75

€60

Bray

€70

€55

€125

€125

€150

Note: Figures in brackets show a reduction in the rent limit for the category. Other denotes an increase
Table 3 – Maximum rent limits from June 2013

County:

Single Shared

Couple Shared

Single

Couple

Couple/One Parent Family - 1 Child

Couple/One Parent Family - 2 Children

Couple/One Parent Family - 3 Children

Dublin - Fingal

300

350

520

700

850

900

950

Dublin - Not Fingal

350

400

520

750

950

975

1,000

Carlow

230

250

375

433

520

560

590

Cavan

160

190

325

350

400

415

433

Clare

190

210

320

350

400

450

500

Cork

250

270

485

575

700

725

750

Donegal

175

200

300

325

350

400

450

Galway

280

300

475

540

700

725

750

Kerry

190

220

365

390

500

520

540

Kildare

250

300

433

500

650

700

750

Kilkenny

200

230

390

430

540

565

590

Laois

200

230

340

350

450

480

520

Leitrim

175

195

300

325

350

375

400

Limerick

200

240

375

400

500

550

600

Longford

160

175

290

300

325

340

350

Louth

215

250

390

400

550

575

600

Mayo

195

215

375

390

433

465

500

Meath

200

260

390

420

550

600

650

Monaghan

180

190

300

350

400

433

450

Offaly

200

220

360

400

450

475

500

Roscommon

200

220

300

325

400

410

425

Sligo

195

220

400

425

520

540

550

Tipperary

195

220

370

400

485

500

525

Waterford

220

240

375

390

475

500

525

Westmeath

190

210

390

400

500

520

530

Wexford

250

270

375

390

500

540

575

Wicklow

240

290

425

450

600

610

625

North Kildare

270

290

500

575

750

800

850

Bray

275

300

520

680

850

925

1,000

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