Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting 19,600 recipients.

The scheme provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The scheme ensures that those who were renting but whose circumstances have changed due to temporary loss of employment or income can continue to meet their rental commitments. In order to assist those whose income and employment has been affected by Covid-19, my Department introduced increased flexibility to facilitate easier access to rent supplement.

This has ensured that rent supplement could be provided in a timely manner for those households struggling to meet rent commitments during the pandemic. Since March 2020, rent supplement has been awarded to over 8,000 households. Of this number, over 1,700 have since closed their claim as they have returned to full-time employment. This flexibility is being extended until the end of March 2021.

Since the beginning of August, rent supplement is more easily accessible to victims of domestic violence. Arrangements are now in place to enable victims of domestic violence to get immediate access to rent supplement for a three-month period to ensure that they are not prevented from leaving their home because of financial or accommodation difficulties.

The revised forecast cost for supporting the rent supplement scheme to the end of the year is €133 million, an increase of €36.6 million, or 38%, on the original provision of €96.4 million for 2020. The €36.6 million forecast increase is due to an increase in those availing of the support during the Covid-19 pandemic. The monthly outturn for 2020 for the scheme is provided in a tabular statement that follows this reply and that I will forward to the Deputy.

Tabular Statement: Amount Paid by Month for Rent Supplement: Jan 2020 to Aug 2020

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