Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 21,200 recipients.
The scheme provides short-term income 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 scheme ensures that for those who were renting, and due to temporary loss of employment, can continue to meet their rental commitments.
Since the introduction of the Government’s Covid emergency response approximately 7,030 customers have been provided rent supplement support and remain in payment; in addition, there are currently, approximately, 1,350 pending customers awaiting a decision or in the process of providing the necessary documentation to the officer dealing with their claim. Statistics in relation to overall approval/refusal rates in relation to the Scheme are not currently available.
The Department’s current flexible rent supplement response has been extended to end-August 2020 and remains under review within context of the overall Government response to the Covid-19 emergency.
The cases that are currently in payment and awarded from the 13 March 2020 by county, including the average rate of support, along with cases currently pending a decision (or documentation still outstanding) are provided in the attached tabular statement.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Table 1: Rent Supplement Awards Post 13th March & Pending Claims as at 15
th
June 2020.
County
|
Awarded and in Payment
|
Pending Claims
|
Average Rate of Payment Support
|
CARLOW
|
105
|
22
|
498
|
CAVAN
|
113
|
13
|
454
|
CLARE
|
114
|
16
|
448
|
CORK
|
753
|
384
|
616
|
DONEGAL
|
120
|
7
|
377
|
DUBLIN
|
2,840
|
491
|
783
|
GALWAY
|
369
|
96
|
607
|
KERRY
|
287
|
35
|
538
|
KILDARE
|
334
|
57
|
790
|
KILKENNY
|
120
|
27
|
529
|
LAOIS
|
103
|
12
|
618
|
LEITRIM
|
34
|
2
|
349
|
LIMERICK
|
272
|
1
|
543
|
LONGFORD
|
37
|
16
|
383
|
LOUTH
|
117
|
21
|
647
|
MAYO
|
130
|
19
|
444
|
MEATH
|
200
|
18
|
732
|
MONAGHAN
|
51
|
4
|
418
|
OFFALY
|
44
|
7
|
475
|
ROSCOMMON
|
63
|
20
|
429
|
SLIGO
|
73
|
7
|
430
|
TIPPERARY
|
153
|
17
|
487
|
WATERFORD
|
37
|
10
|
257
|
WESTMEATH
|
126
|
1
|
541
|
WEXFORD
|
163
|
14
|
468
|
WICKLOW
|
271
|
27
|
672
|
|
7,029
|
1,344
|
657
|