The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, or joint tenants, of local authority homes available for sale under the scheme.
To be eligible, applicants must meet certain criteria, including a minimum annual reckonable income. The Tenant Purchase Scheme was reviewed in 2021, with a number of amendments implemented from 1 February 2022. These included reducing the minimum reckonable income required from €15,000 to €12,500, facilitating older tenants, whose only income might be the contributory or non-contributory State pension, to buy their homes if they have the financial means to do so.
The minimum income requirement has a dual purpose. It ensures the scheme is sustainable and the tenant purchasing the house has the financial means to maintain and insure the property for the duration of the charged period. For these reasons, certain income is not considered when determining an applicant's reckonable income. This includes the Widow's, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension which, for those aged 66 and under without child dependents, is currently below the minimum reckonable income threshold.
That said, changes in relation to reckonable income are being considered by my Department, together with other potential changes to the scheme, as part of the work on the broader social housing reform agenda.
