Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
823. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when assessing income from earnings for access to a local authority social housing waiting list, if local authorities have the discretion to disregard one-off overtime earnings in any given year; if not, if such thresholds have no flexibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17648/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra824. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify current income thresholds from earnings in relation to social housing waiting lists; when these thresholds became operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17649/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 823 and 824 together.
The 2011 Social Housing Assessment Regulations, as amended, prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The Regulations do not provide local authorities with any discretion to exceed the limits that apply to their administrative areas.
That said, the Household Means Policy does provide for a range of income disregards. In this context, when assessing income eligibility for social housing, local authorities will disregard overtime paid in the relevant 12-month assessment period up to a maximum of 10% of the applicant household's annual basic income.
My Department increased the baseline social housing income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds increased to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
Households deemed not to qualify upon assessment under the previous thresholds, but which would have qualified if the new thresholds had been in place, will be allowed retain time previously spent on the list. Accordingly, any application assessed and deemed ineligible between 18 November 2021 and 31 December 2022, and which would have met the new income thresholds, can be resubmitted. Any household removed from the local authority waiting list since 18 November 2021, but which now qualifies under the new thresholds, can retain the time already accrued on the list as well as any time that they would have accrued if they had remained on the waiting list.
