Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason maintenance paid to an ex-spouse or partner is not considered as disregard of means when making decisions on eligibility for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56324/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Maintenance received from an ex-spouse or partner is considered as income in line with the terms of the Household Means Policy, issued in March 2011 under Regulation 17 of the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011. This Policy sets out the manner in which housing authorities will assess the means of applicant households for the purpose of determining the household’s ability to provide accommodation from its own means and by extension its eligibility, or otherwise, for social housing support. The Policy also contains a list of sources of income to be disregarded for the purposes of assessing income. These are very specific payment types and include , for example, child benefit and mobility allowance and other similar payment types which, unlike maintenance payments received, would not typically be classified as household income.