I propose to take Questions Nos. 317 and 319 together.
The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q2 2022, over 104,700 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were over 60,700 households actively in receipt of HAP support.
A key principle of the HAP scheme is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector, which best suits their needs, in their area of choice. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned.
Decisions in relation to HAP, including the suitability of HAP accommodation, is solely a matter for the local authority concerned. Data on the number of HAP applications refused due to the non-compliance of landlords with the planning regulations is not collected by my Department.
The HAP Shared Services Centre (SSC) manages the collection of all HAP tenants’ differential rents, on behalf of the relevant local authority, and the payment of all HAP rents to landlords on behalf of tenants supported by the HAP scheme.
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 SSC. If there are delays at the processing stage within a local authority, payment to the landlord may 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.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review.