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Social Welfare Benefits

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 May 2021

Wednesday, 12 May 2021

Questions (175)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

175. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount spent in each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021 on housing assistance payments, rent supplements and any other payment related to housing or rent in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24955/21]

View answer

Written answers

Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting 19,570 active 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 those who were renting, but whose circumstances have changed due to temporary loss of employment or income, can continue to meet their rental commitments

Since the introduction of HAP, rent supplement continues to revert to its original role of providing short-term support to those who have become temporarily unemployed and require income support to meet their tenancy cost whilst they seek alternative employment.

Under the SWA scheme, my Department can make a single Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The ENP is demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case.

The tabular statement attached provides a summary of Department of Social Protection expenditure, as requested, for the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021.

My department does not have any role to the Housing Assistance Payment which is administered by Local Authorities.

Expenditure 2018-2020 and to date in 2021.

Rent Supplement

Exceptional Needs Payment – Housing

2018

€175.0m

€20.0m

2019

€125.2m

€27.5m

2020

€133.1m

€27.9m

2021 Jan-April

€48.5m

€10.3m

Note: ENP Housing expenditure captured in the above tabular statement covers ENPs related to: Rent Deposits, Rent in Advance, Household Appliances, Bedding, Flooring, Furniture, Repairs and Maintenance, and 'New Accommodation Kit Outs'.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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