Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of mortgage interest. The purpose of the supplement is to provide short-term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments for a house which is their sole place of residence. The supplement assists only with the interest portion of the mortgage repayments.

There are currently more than 8,500 people in receipt of mortgage interest supplement, an increase of over 4,400 over those receiving payment at the end of 2007. The scheme is administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive on behalf of the Department and delivered locally by community welfare officers.

A community welfare officer interviews applicants for mortgage interest supplement when they first present in order to determine if they satisfy the statutory qualifying conditions for entitlement. They also ensure that all the documentation required to make a decision has been provided. Claim details are recorded electronically only in cases where it is established that mortgage interest supplement is payable. For this reason, statistics are not held on the number of people who were refused mortgage interest supplement. It is estimated, however, that on average 20% to 25% of claims are refused.

Under existing arrangements, an appeal against a decision on entitlement to mortgage interest supplement is made in the first instance to a designated appeals officer in the HSE. A person may, if they so wish, make a further appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office if they are dissatisfied with the decision of the HSE appeals officer. The average time taken to process an appeal to a HSE appeals officer is estimated to be approximately six weeks.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised that it does not hold details of the average duration of a mortgage interest supplement appeal. However, the average duration of a supplementary welfare allowance appeal in 2007 which would include mortgage interest supplement was eight weeks. As priority is given to such appeals by the Social Welfare Appeals Office, processing times for 2008 are being compiled at present but are expected to be of the same order as in 2007 for supplementary welfare allowance appeals.

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