Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:267 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give details of the guidelines issued to community welfare officers for assessing rent for rent allowance purposes.
Written Answers. - Rent Allowance Guidelines.
Under the supplementary welfare allowances scheme a person can receive assistance in the form of a weekly supplement to help meet the cost of rent. Under these arrangements a payment can be granted where the rent exceeds £3.20 per week.
Entitlement to supplements is determined by the health boards. In general, they are calculated so as to leave the client with a disposable income, after payment of his rent, which is equivalent to the basic supplementary welfare allowance rate appropriate to his family circumstances, less £3.20.
Other factors, such as possible over-accommodation — whether there are other non-dependent adults living in the household who could reasonably be expected to contribute towards the rent — would also be taken into consideration.
Regulations governing the scheme require that a rent supplement shall not, without the consent of the Minister for Social Welfare, exceed £30 per week. Payment of a supplement in excess of this amount will be sanctioned where the circumstances of the case warrant it.
A leaflet produced by the Department gives detailed information on rent and mortgage supplementation under the supplementary welfare allowances scheme. It is available from the information offices of the Department in Dublin and around the country and from the health boards.
I am making arrangements to have a copy of this leaflet sent to the Deputy.