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Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 May 2014

Thursday, 15 May 2014

Questions (115)

Michael Ring

Question:

115. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons in voluntary-sheltered housing may qualify for rent supplement from her Department under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. [21986/14]

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Written answers

The 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. 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 77,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014.

Persons in voluntary or sheltered housing are not excluded from rent supplement.

At the time of application for a rent supplement, the claimant must:

- have been residing in private rented accommodation (where at the commencement of the tenancy the person could have reasonably afforded the rent and has experienced a substantial change in his or her circumstances where they are now unable to pay the rent) or accommodation for homeless persons or in an institution (or any combination of these) for a period of 183 days within the preceding 12 months of the date of claim for rent supplement; or

- have had an assessment of housing need carried out within the 12 months preceding the date of claim and have been deemed to be eligible for and in need of social housing support.

In all other cases, a person who wishes to apply for rent supplement will be referred, in the first instance, for an assessment of eligibility for social housing support by a housing authority. Only when the person has been assessed as being eligible for and in need of social housing support, does the person become eligible for consideration for rent supplement.

Under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), voluntary housing bodies provide accommodation to meet special housing needs such as those of the elderly, people with a disability or homeless. The approved voluntary housing bodies are responsible for tenancy allocations in consultation with the local authorities. Where the person beneficially entitled to the rent payable under the tenancy is an approved body in receipt of assistance under the CAS scheme, the maximum weekly amount of rent supplement payable is €55 in respect of a single person and €60 in respect of a couple.

Question No. 116 withdrawn.
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