Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 234: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when a decision will be made in respect of an appeal regarding rent allowance for a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5939/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Rent supplements are provided for through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on behalf of my Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Under standard assessment rules, rent supplements are calculated to ensure that an eligible person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to his or her family circumstances, less a minimum contribution of €13 which each recipient is required to pay from his or her own resources. In addition to this minimum contribution, each recipient is also required to contribute any assessable means he or she has over and above the appropriate supplementary welfare allowance rate.

Supplementary welfare allowance is not normally payable to people who are engaged in full-time employment. However, arrangements have been in place for a number of years which allow people to retain a portion of their rent supplement where they take up employment through approved schemes such as community employment, subject to a weekly household income limit of €317.43. In such cases, the supplement may be retained on a tapered basis over a period of up to four years. Participants in community employment have the option of being assessed for rent supplement purposes under either standard or special retention rules, depending on which option is more favourable in their situation.

The Dublin-mid-Leinster office of the Health Service Executive was contacted regarding this case and has advised that the person concerned had been in receipt of rent supplement which was based on her income from one-parent family payment. It came to the attention of the executive that the person concerned is now participating in a community employment scheme. The level of her household income is now such that she does not qualify for rent supplement under either the tapered retention rules or standard assessment rules. Her rent supplement was terminated accordingly. The person has appealed against this decision to the executive's area appeals officer. The appeal will be decided as soon as possible.