Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 347: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, further to the calculation of rent allowance, if there is a protocol in place whereby the community welfare officer would inspect an entire house, including the contents of every wardrobe in the house; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8952/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes rent supplement, is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Neither I nor my Department have any function in decisions on individual claims.

To qualify for rent supplement, a person must satisfy a number of conditions. The person must be a bona fide tenant, be habitually resident in this country, have a housing need and satisfy a means test. The means test is based on the household income. In addition, the executive must be satisfied that the accommodation is suited to the person's accommodation needs and the rent payable is within the prescribed limits. In determining whether the accommodation is suited to the person's accommodation needs, the executive must establish the household composition, the size of the accommodation unit and identify any special needs that the person may have. As part of this process, the executive normally carries out a visit to the residential premises in question. This home visit is also used to confirm the applicant's residence.

To determine ongoing entitlement to a rent supplement payment, the executive carries out regular reviews of claims. These reviews may require the landlord to confirm tenancy details, such as the household composition, the rent payable and whether rent has fallen into arrears. As part of the review process, the tenant may also be interviewed by the executive or a further home visit may be carried out. It is a matter for the executive to carry out whatever checks it considers necessary to establish entitlement to a rent supplement payment.