Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour)
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374. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, the number of instances recorded, either through the relevant form or on the integrated short-term schemes system, in 2011 by area and the number of instances in 2012 by area in which a community welfare officer has noted Article 38 of S.I. 412 of 2007 in the reason for an increased payment of rent supplement; the number of these that makes any reference to homelessness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25319/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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There are approximately 86,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement for which the Government has provided a sum of over €403 million for 2013. The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term income support to eligible tenants living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer.

New maximum rent limits came into force on 1 January 2012. The general practice is that rent supplement is not paid where the rent is above the relevant limit. However, rent supplement may be paid where the rent is above the relevant limit in the following circumstances:

- Where there are special housing needs related to exceptional circumstances (in particular, for example, a person with a disability in specially-adapted accommodation or homeless persons whose housing needs cannot be met within the standard terms of the rent supplement scheme etc.);

- Where the person concerned is entitled to an income disregard and has sufficient income to meet his or her basic needs after paying rent, taking into account the appropriate rate of rent supplement that is otherwise payable in the case. "Sufficient income" in this context means the relevant basic supplementary welfare allowance rate less the prescribed minimum contribution to rent; and/or

- Where the tenant will be in a position to re-assume responsibility for his/her rent within a short period. For this purpose, a guideline period of no longer than 6 to 8 weeks is suggested but where there are exceptional circumstances, an extension up to a total of 12 weeks may be allowed.

Statistics are not available on the number of rent supplement claims where payments are made in excess of the prescribed limits.