Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 178: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the maximum amount of rent support offered for a five person house in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9468/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the department by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.

The maximum rent supplement for a couple with three children in Co. Kildare is €1,200 per month. The Executive has advised that the person concerned is in receipt of rent supplement of €721.59 per month since 5 January 2009.

The household was assessed with income from maternity and jobseeker's benefit, both of which are assessable as means for rent supplement purposes. The means assessment was explained to the person concerned by the community welfare officer on 2 March last.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 179: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the correct family income supplement, unemployment assistance and unemployment benefit payable to persons (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9471/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The couple concerned are in receipt of a combined income (from employment, family income supplement and supplementary welfare allowance) of €365.90 per week, at this time. This is the maximum rate payable in respect of a couple with one qualified child.

One of the couple had applied for jobseeker's allowance on 4 February 2009 and an interview with a social welfare inspector took place on 25 February 2009. On receipt of all the information and documentation requested, a decision will be made on his claim and he will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 180: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason her Department allowed over payment to occur in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare in view of the fact that they were given the information and requirement proposals from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9473/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned was paid Family Income Supplement (FIS) from 22 April 2004 to 28 January 2009. Payment should have stopped when she ceased employment on 29 August 2008, however, she failed to notify the family income supplement section of the change in her circumstances.

She applied for, and was awarded, One Parent Family Payment (OPFP) with effect from 12 June 2008. During a review of her claim, in January 09, it came to light that she was still in receipt of FIS, not withstanding the fact that she had provided a P45 to the local office in September 2008. Her FIS payment was duly stopped and an overpayment assessed at €3006.00 as she was not entitled to receive this payment when she ceased to be employed.

The person concerned has been informed of the accrual of the overpayment, and of her right to appeal the overpayment assessed against her. It is open to her to submit an appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office, D'Olier House, and while she has not done so, this question is being treated as an appeal.