Written answers

Thursday, 30 April 2009

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Social Welfare Benefits

5:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 189: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will put in place measures to address the needs of persons who have suddenly become unemployed, in many cases for the first time, with particular reference to rent and mortgage support and emergency supplementary payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17354/09]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of rent or mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs.

The scheme also provides for an exceptional needs payment which may be made to help meet an essential once-off cost, such as a payment of a rent deposit, which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment and each application is determined by a community welfare officer based on the particular circumstances of the case, taking account of the nature and extent of the need.

Rent supplement is payable to people who are unable to meet the cost of renting private accommodation. The supplement is intended as a short-term income support to eligible tenants whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs. There are currently nearly 85,000 people in receipt of rent supplement, an increase of 42% since the end of December 2007.

The mortgage interest supplement scheme is designed to help those who have difficulty meeting their mortgage repayment schedule where their means are insufficient to meet their needs. The scheme provides a short-term "safety net" within the overall social welfare scheme to ensure that people do not suffer hardship due to loss of employment.

A supplement may be paid in respect of mortgage interest only to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence.

There are currently over 11,300 people in receipt of mortgage interest supplement, an increase of 175% over the number in payment at end 2007.

The assessment for the existing rent and mortgage interest supplement provides for a gradual withdrawal of payment as hours of employment or earnings increase. Those availing of part-time employment and/or training opportunities can continue to receive rent and mortgage interest supplement subject to their satisfying the standard means assessment rules.

In the case of rent supplement, a person accepted as having a long term housing need who has been accepted as being eligible under the rental accommodation scheme (RAS) may engage in full time employment and still qualify for rent supplement, subject to standard means assessment rules.

In view of the current economic environment, the Department is conducting 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 views of the community welfare service and other interested parties are currently being canvassed as part of the review. In the interim, updated guidelines on the operation of the existing mortgage interest supplement scheme will issue shortly to community welfare service staff.

The mortgage interest supplement scheme is administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive on behalf of the department. The operational arrangements for the processing of applications and the payment to qualifying individuals, is a matter for the respective community welfare division areas.

The HSE is reviewing the allocation of staff currently engaged on the delivery of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, including rent and mortgage interest supplement.

The question of any increase in expenditure for staffing within the community welfare service above that currently provided would have to be considered in the context of overall Government policy on public service manpower levels.

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