Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 February 2014

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Questions (358)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

358. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the current rent caps for rent allowance for each council area in the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8151/14]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

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 currently approximately 79,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014.

The Department completed a review of the maximum rent limits which came into effect on 17 June 2013 and will remain in place until 31 December 2014. 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. The current maximum rent limits are prescribed on a county basis with Dublin divided into Fingal and non-Fingal areas. Separate to the county limits, higher rent limits have been provided for in North Kildare and Bray areas.

The following tabular statement provides details of the current maximum rent limits.

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