Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 April 2016
772. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the details of his contacts with the Department of Social Protection in respect of Intreo's decision to issue letters to recipients of long-term rent supplement stating that their payments due may be suspended if they do not transfer to the housing assistance payment. [6602/16]
View answerThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is being introduced incrementally on a pilot basis to local authority areas. Since HAP commenced in September 2014, some 8,2 00 households are currently being supported by the scheme and HAP is now available to all qualified households in 19 local authority areas. HAP provides for the transfer of responsibility for long-term recipients of rent supplement who have a recognised housing need from the Department of Social Protection to the local authority sector, thus bringing all long-term social housing supports provided by the State together under the local authority system. Upon its introduction in a local authority area, HAP will replace rent supplement for those with a long-term housing need and who qualify for social housing support; rent supplement will no longer be an option for applicants in such cases. Local authorities are taking an incremental approach to the transfer of recipients from rent supplement to HAP in their own areas. This involves close co-operation with local Department of Social Protection offices and individual tenants. An existing rent supplement recipient who has been determined as eligible for the HAP scheme may transfer to HAP and remain in their current accommodation where the landlord is in agreement, and subject to the terms and conditions of the scheme being met. Over 8,300 households are currently being supported by the HAP scheme; 36% of these households have transferred to HAP from the Rent Supplement scheme.
The transfer of long-term rent supplement recipients to the HAP scheme is a carefully managed process, involving close contact between the relevant local authority and the local office of the Department of Social Protection . My Department has had no contact with Intreo. In that context, any correspondence issued by Intreo to rent supplement recipients is a matter for the Department of Social Protection.
