Written answers

Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Social Welfare Benefits

10:00 am

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 449: To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions No 215 of 24 June 2010 and No 407 of 15 June 2010, the reason a reply has not been issued to date; and if he will now expedite a reply to the questions. [29727/10]

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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In order to qualify for a rent supplement a person must have been residing in private rented accommodation or accommodation for homeless persons (or any combination of these) for a period of 183 days within the preceding 12 months of the date of claim for rent supplement. A person may also qualify for rent supplement where an assessment of housing need has been carried out within the 12 months preceding the date of claim and the person is deemed by the relevant local authority to be eligible for and in need of social housing support.

In all other cases a person who wishes to apply for rent supplement is referred, in the first instance, for an assessment of eligibility for social housing support by the local housing authority in the area where claim to rent supplement is made (and the person intends to reside). Only when the person has been assessed as being eligible for and in need of social housing support, does the person become eligible for consideration for rent supplement.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that the person concerned applied for rent supplement on 29 May 2010. The person concerned was advised that in order to process his application for rent supplement he would need to provide proof of being in rented accommodation for 6 of the previous 12 months or be assessed as being eligible for and in need of social housing support. The Executive further advised that the person concerned has not provided the information to date.

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