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

Question 138: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the protection his Department has under social welfare regulations, legislation or guidelines to ensure that social welfare recipients in receipt of recent family increases in Budget 2008 do not have the percentage rise clawed back by a local authority increasing its rent by a similar amount as to the budget rise; if, in determining social welfare payments in general the percentage of social welfare payments is determined by him as possible rent or accommodation payments; and if fuel or living alone allowances are included; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5919/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The determination of rents payable under the terms of the differential rent scheme and the income to be assessed for this purpose is the responsibility of the relevant local authority and is subject to broad principles, as laid down by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I understand that guidelines issued by that department to local authorities indicate that no more than 15% of any increase in social welfare payments should be absorbed by an increase in rent.

Entitlement to rent supplement, administered by the Health Service Executive on my behalf, is determined on the basis of the circumstances of each individual case, including accommodation costs and the income of the applicant. Income from social welfare payments in excess of the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to family size is generally assessed as means for the purposes of the rent supplement scheme. Income from allowances such as fuel and living alone is not assessable as means. Special arrangements are applied to income from pensions and carers allowance, enabling people in receipt of those payments to receive a higher amount of Rent Supplement than would otherwise be the case.

Payment is normally calculated to ensure that the person, after payment of the rent has a weekly income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to his or her circumstances, less €13. This €13 represents the minimum contribution which all applicants are required to pay towards accommodation costs from their own resources. Because the calculation is based on the current rate of Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Budgetary increases in that rate do not lead to a reduction in rent supplement payment rates.