Written answers

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Social Welfare Benefits

9:00 pm

Photo of Emmet StaggEmmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 85: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the level of interaction between her Department and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and local authorities on achieving savings in the cost of rent supplement by switching more tenants to the rental accommodation scheme. [1808/10]

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 124: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons claiming rent supplement more than 18 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1688/10]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 124 together.

There are currently over 93,000 tenants benefiting from a rent supplement payment - an increase of almost 26% since the end of 2008. Over 35,000 or 38% have been in payment for 18 months or more.

The Rental Accommodation Scheme or RAS, which was introduced in 2004, gives local authorities specific responsibility for meeting the longer term housing needs of people receiving rent supplement for 18 months or more. Details of these tenants are notified regularly by the Department to the local authorities. Local authorities meet the housing needs of these individuals through a range of approaches including the traditional range of social housing options, the voluntary housing sector and, in particular, RAS.

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has advised that, at end November 2009, local authorities have transferred almost 9,000 rent supplement cases to private sector RAS units. An additional 4,000 rent supplement cases have been transferred to voluntary sector RAS units. Housing authorities have also transferred a further 11,000 recipients to other social housing options, making a total of over 24,000 transfers since 2005. Almost 7,000 recipients were transferred in 2008 with a further 6,000 transferred up to November 2009.

It is accepted that progress in relation to RAS was initially slower than expected. However the pace of delivery has improved significantly, and in 2010 a target has been set of transferring an additional 8,000 households from rent supplement. The number of unsold affordable housing stock around the country and the move to long term leasing by local authorities, creates an opportunity to accelerate transfers and the current market conditions should contribute to achieving further savings.

Rent supplement tenants are required to make a minimum contribution towards their rent. This contribution was increased by €11 to €24 in two phases in 2009 as a budgetary measure. This change allows for a better alignment with the contribution payable under the differential rent scheme applying to RAS tenants. This will encourage more people to take up RAS offers.

A Value for Money and Policy Review of RAS is being conducted by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Department and will commence this month. Officials of my department will participate in the review and will also continue to work closely with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and local authorities in ensuring that RAS meets its objective of catering for those on long term rent supplementation while enabling rent supplement to return to its original role of a short-term income support.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.