Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 October 2023
315. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason those on a widow’s pension, rather than a State pension, remain ineligible for the tenant purchase scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46058/23]
View answerThe Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, or joint tenants, of local authority homes available for sale under the scheme.
To be eligible, applicants must meet certain criteria, including a minimum annual reckonable income. The Tenant Purchase Scheme was reviewed in 2021, with a number of amendments implemented from 1 February 2022. These included reducing the minimum reckonable income required from €15,000 to €12,500, facilitating older tenants, whose only income might be the contributory or non-contributory State pension, to buy their homes if they have the financial means to do so.
The minimum income requirement has a dual purpose. It ensures the scheme is sustainable and the tenant purchasing the house has the financial means to maintain and insure the property for the duration of the charged period. For these reasons, certain income is not considered when determining an applicant's reckonable income. This includes the Widow's, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (contributory and non-contributory) Pension which, for some recipients, is currently below the minimum reckonable income threshold.
Further changes to the scheme are currently being examined as part of the work on the broader social housing reform agenda and I look forward to receiving proposals on them shortly.
