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Housing Assistance Payment Applications

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 December 2019

Wednesday, 11 December 2019

Questions (90)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

90. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the waiting times for processing of HAP applications by each local authority; the additional resources he will release to ensure that waiting times are reduced down to one to two weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51113/19]

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Written answers

Limerick City and County Council provide a highly effective HAP transactional-shared service on behalf of all local authorities. The HAP Shared Services Centre (HAP SSC) manages all HAP-related rental transactions for the tenant, local authority and landlord. Once a HAP application has been received and confirmed as valid by the relevant local authority, it is then processed by the HAP SSC. On average, HAP applications are processed by the HAP Shared Service Centre within 2 -3 working days of receipt. Any rental payment arising for a given month will then be made to a landlord on the last Wednesday of that month.

Under the HAP scheme, eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector and the tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord. The HAP application form comes in two parts; Section A to be completed by the applicant tenant and Section B to be completed by the landlord or agent. An application for HAP will only be accepted by the local authority when both Section A and Section B are completed, signed and returned, along with the required supporting documentation. Any delay in tenants and landlords supplying this information will impact on the processing time of the HAP application. The earliest date a HAP payment to the landlord will apply from is the date a complete and valid HAP application has been received by the local authority.

HAP application processing times within local authorities may vary. Once a HAP application has been received and confirmed as valid by the relevant local authority, it is entered on the system by the local authority and then submitted for processing and payment by the HAP Shared Service Centre. If there are delays at the processing stage within a local authority, payment to the landlord will be backdated to the date on which a complete and valid application form was received by the local authority. The landlord is therefore not penalised for any delay.

An analysis of data from the HAP SSC indicates that the average processing time at the end of Q3 2019 within the 31 local authorities is 34 days. My Department has recently written to all local authorities to remind them of the critical need to keep processing times under review at a local level to ensure times are minimised to the greatest extent possible.

To support local authorities in the implementation of the HAP scheme, my Department provides a once off administrative payment of €150 per HAP household to all local authorities. This administrative payment recognises the resources required to manage the HAP process. The payment is made directly to local authorities, to offset HAP staffing and administrative costs. Since 2015 over €9m has been provided to local authorities in this regard.

At the end of Q3 2019, there were over 50,000 households having their housing needs met via HAP and some 29,000 separate landlords and agents in receipt of monthly HAP payments. My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review.

Question No. 91 answered with Question No. 45.
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