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

The strategic policy direction of my Department is to return rent supplement to its original purpose of being a short-term income-support scheme. Under the HAP scheme, responsibility for the provision of rental assistance to those with a long-term housing need is transferring to local authorities. HAP has been designed to simplify the current system of housing supports. It allows people to engage in full-time employment and remain in the scheme, whereas rent supplement is not generally payable where the person or his or her spouse or partner is in full-time employment, that is for 30 hours or more a week.

The tenant's rent contribution to the local authority under HAP is calculated using the local authority differential rent system. HAP has been rolled out on an incremental basis since 2014. As of 1 March 2017 it has been available in all 31 local authorities. Some 57,890 HAP tenancies are in place of which about 10,540 have been recorded as transferred directly from long-term rent supplement, representing 18.2% of HAP tenancies. As part of the rent supplement HAP transfer process, people in receipt of rent supplement for more than 18 months are being requested to contact their local authority to have their housing needs assessed.

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