Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 175: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason she does not collect information and statistics on the number of people who apply for mortgage interest supplement or the number of people who have been refused mortgage interest supplement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17304/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of mortgage interest. The purpose of the supplement is to provide short term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence. The supplement assists with the interest portion of the mortgage repayments only.

There are currently over 11,300 people in receipt of mortgage interest supplement, an increase of over 7, 000 (175%) over those in payment at end 2007.

The scheme is administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive (HSE) on behalf of the department and delivered locally by community welfare officers. A community welfare officer interviews applicants for mortgage interest supplement when they first present in order to determine if they satisfy the statutory qualifying conditions for entitlement. They also ensure that all the documentation required to make a decision has been provided.

Claim details are recorded electronically in cases where it is established that mortgage interest supplement is payable. However, claim details are not always recorded electronically where no entitlement has been established to mortgage interest supplement, unless an appeal has been lodged with an appeals officer of the HSE, in which case claim details would be recorded electronically.

For this reason, reliable statistics are not available on the total number of people who applied for and were refused mortgage interest supplement.

In view of the current economic environment, the Department has commenced a review of the administration of the mortgage interest supplement scheme. The main purpose of the review is to consider how the mortgage interest supplement scheme can best meet its objective of catering for those who require assistance on a short-term basis, where they are unable to meet mortgage interest repayments on their sole place of residence. Legislative and operational issues arising in the existing mortgage interest scheme, including the cap on hours of employment, are also being examined. The review will examine operational aspects of the scheme including best practice in the recording, collating and maintenance of statistical data.