Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 348: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of households in receipt of rent supplement as of June 2011; and the number of households who were in receipt of rent supplement in June 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively. [18470/11]

Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 349: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of households in receipt of rent supplement as of June 2011 who were in receipt of rent supplement for 18 months or longer. [18471/11]

Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 350: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of households in receipt of mortgage interest supplement as of June 2011; and the number of households who were in receipt of rent supplement in June 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively. [18473/11]

Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 351: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for rent supplement who have been refused so far in 2011 and in 2010; and the number of these applications that were subsequently accepted on appeal. [18475/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 348 to 351, inclusive, together.

I set out below a tabular statement showing the number of recipients of rent and mortgage interest supplement at the end of June 2008, June 2009, June 2010 and June 2011. There are currently 51,244 individuals in receipt of rent supplement for 18 months or more.

The following tabular statement shows the number of rent supplement claims registered and awarded in 2010 and to date in 2011. Statistics are not available on the total number of individuals who applied for and were refused a rent supplement payment and subsequently appealed the decision.

TABULAR STATEMENTS

Recipients of Rent Supplement and Mortgage Interest Supplement June 2008, June 2009, June 2010 and June 2011

Rent Supplement Claims Registered and Awarded - 2010 to 2011

* To 24th June 2011

Notes

Claims registered include

claims not pursued by the applicant and

re-application where a rent supplement recipient moves to new accommodation.

Claim details are recorded electronically where it is established that rent supplement is payable. Where an appeal has been lodged, claim details are also recorded electronically.

Given the pressure on the community welfare service, claim details are not always recorded on the system where no entitlement has been established to rent supplement.

The difference between claims registered and claims awarded is not necessarily a refusal rate, for the reasons outlined above.

In these circumstances, fully reliable statistics are not available on the total number of people who applied for and were refused rent supplement.