Social Welfare Code.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2004

Wednesday, 28 April 2004

Ceisteanna (78, 79, 80, 81)

Billy Timmins

Ceist:

92 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the status of her review of the rent supplement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12107/04]

Joe Costello

Ceist:

106 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the recent submission made by One Family, on behalf of a coalition of 39 voluntary and community organisations, expressing serious concern regarding the implications for lone parents and other persons they deal with of the changes in the rent supplement schemes; if she intends to undertake a review of the changes in view of the concerns being expressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12041/04]

Eamon Gilmore

Ceist:

130 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if, in regard to the recent changes introduced to the rent supplement scheme, she will withdraw the guidance given to community welfare officers that discretionary exemptions to the rules be minimal in number and also advise persons who have sought a housing assessment by their local authority, but the determination is pending, that they can receive rent supplement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12042/04]

David Stanton

Ceist:

131 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the way in which changes in rent supplement regulations recently announced will impact on applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12137/04]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 92, 106, 130 and 131 together.

Rent supplements are paid under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards. The main impact of the measures recently introduced is to refocus the rent supplement scheme on its original objective. This is to meet immediate short-term income maintenance needs as opposed to long-term housing needs. As a result of the measures that I have introduced, the local authorities and the health boards are working together more closely to provide better housing solutions where appropriate. People applying for rent supplement will in future have their housing needs assessed by the local authorities in a systematic manner and this will increase their chances of getting social housing.

The local authorities now also have a greater say in decisions on claims for rent supplement. With certain important exceptions, it is no longer possible for a person to become a tenant in the private rented sector with the support of rent supplement unless the local authority is satisfied that that person has a housing need. However, if a person is assessed by a housing authority as having a housing need, he or she will qualify for rent supplement, regardless of how long he or she has been renting, subject to the normal means and other qualifying criteria.

The health boards have indicated that the housing authorities are responding to requests for housing assessments without undue delay. If, however, there is a delay in any particular case, the health board still has the discretion to make a payment where it considers that the circumstances of the case so warrant. None of the measures which I have introduced and none of the guidelines which issued to the health boards affects the discretion of a health board to make a payment, nor do they restrict in any way the number of discretionary exemptions made. The impact of the rent supplement changes and the other measures was fully assessed and the manner of their implementation was carefully designed to ensure that the interests of vulnerable groups such as the homeless, the elderly and disabled are fully protected, for example, the six months prior renting requirement does not apply in their case.

The organisation One Family, formerly Cherish, has confirmed that it has not made a recent submission to my office. However, I understand that the submission to which the Deputy refers is a letter which One Family recently sent to a number of public representatives concerning the effect of the rent supplement measures.

With regard to monitoring and reviewing the effect of the changes, a working group under the social partnership agreement, Sustaining Progress, is being established to facilitate engagement with the social partners in that regard. The group comprises representatives of ICTU, the community and voluntary pillar as well as my Department and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The working group is being chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach. I look forward to the report of the group, which I expect to receive later this year.

In addition, my Department has been in regular contact with the community welfare staff of the health boards regarding the operation of the new measures and has held several meetings with senior officials of the boards since the introduction of the measures in January. My Department has not been made aware of any cases of hardship arising from the application of the new measures.

Question No. 93 answered with QuestionNo. 85.