Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 283: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has had their rent subsidy reduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13924/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Rent supplements are provided through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Rent supplements are subject to a means test and are normally 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 — currently €13 per week — which a recipient is required to pay from his or her own resources.

In addition to this minimum weekly contribution, each recipient is also required to contribute any additional assessable means he or she has over and above the appropriate supplementary welfare allowance rate towards his or her rent. Up to €60 of additional weekly income is disregarded in the rent supplement means test in respect of participation in approved training courses, to ensure that a person gains overall as a result of taking up such an opportunity.

The Dublin and mid-Leinster area of the executive has advised that the amount of rent supplement in payment to the person concerned was reduced to take account of an increase in the level of her assessable household income. In addition to her one-parent family payment, the person concerned is now in receipt of a weekly training allowance of €148.80. Taking account of this additional income, and allowing the appropriate €60 disregard, the person concerned is in receipt of the correct amount of rent supplement for her circumstances. Her income before rent supplement is €316.90 per week and she is also in receipt of an additional €60.70 per week in rent supplement.