Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 April 2017
152. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the income criteria that currently apply in the qualifying criteria for local authority housing; the date when the criteria were last adjusted; the full income criteria applying before the last adjustment; and the specific statutory basis for making changes to these income criteria. [17319/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe current income limits which apply for eligibility for social housing support are prescribed by the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended by the Social Housing Assessment (Amendment) Regulations 2011 and the Social Housing Assessment (Amendment) Regulations 2016, made under sections 3, 20 and 32 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009.
The regulations prescribe the maximum net income limits which may be set by each housing authority, in different bands according to the area, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The current limits of €35,000, €30,000 and €25,000 are for a single-person household, depending on the local authority area concerned. These limits reflect a blanket increase in the limits of €5,000 which was introduced prior to the commencement of the 2011 Regulations on 1 April 2011, in order to broaden the base from which social housing tenants are drawn and thereby promote sustainable communities.
A table setting out the details of the three bands and the limits currently applicable in each housing authority area is available on my Department's website at the following link:http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/table_with_2016_income_limits.pdf.
Income is defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy which was issued by the Minister under Regulation 17 of the 2011 Regulations. The Policy sets out the manner in which housing authorities are to assess the means of any household seeking social housing support. Net income is defined as gross household income less income tax, PRSI and the universal social charge. The policy defines the types of income to be taken into consideration when assessing eligibility for social housing support. Authorities do have discretion to disregard income that is considered to be temporary, short-term or once off in nature and which is outside the regular pattern of a person's income.
There have been no adjustments to the maximum limits of €25,000, €30,000 and €35,000 or the Household Means Policy since 2011. The merger of the Waterford city and county councils necessitated the introduction of a common limit of €30,000 for the new administrative area of Waterford City and County Council, in view of the different limits applicable in the former city and county areas pre - merger. This change was introduced via the Social Housing Assessment (Amendment) Regulations 2016.
A review of the income eligibility limits for social housing supports, as part of the broader social housing reform agenda set out in the Social Housing Strategy 2020, is scheduled to commence later this year.
