The payment of a rent supplement is provided for under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme administered by the health boards on behalf of my Department. The purpose of a rent supplement is to provide assistance towards the reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from another source. A rent supplement is an income maintenance support and is not intended to address a person's long-term accommodation needs.
The regulations governing the payment of rent supplement do not prohibit a dependent child in third level education from being considered in the assessment of an application. In determining entitlement to rent supplement, a health board must be satisfied that the applicant has a genuine accommodation need, that the property being rented is suitable to these needs and that a bona fide tenancy exists between the applicant and his or her landlord.
In considering whether a particular property is suitable to the needs of the applicant, account is taken of the composition of the household, particularly the relationship, age and gender breakdown of the people in question. Changes in household composition can affect the supplement payment. If the size of the household increases there may be a need for larger accommodation which, in turn, may lead to an increase in the amount of supplement payable. On the other hand, if the household numbers decrease, the suitability of the accommodation may need to be reviewed. If grown up children move away from the family home to attend university, the remaining resident or residents may be over accommodated. For example, it would not in normal circumstances be appropriate for a person living on their own to receive rent supplement in respect of a three bedroom house. The legislation governing the payment of rent supplement provides health boards with the scope to deal with any exceptional cases that may arise.
The circumstances of the applicant and his or her family are taken into account in determining entitlements in individual cases.