Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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297. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when the current recipients of rent supplement will transfer to the proposed housing assistance payment; and the benefits she believes this will bring. [44661/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Under HAP, responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with a long-term housing need will transfer from the Department of Social Protection to local authorities using HAP. Officials in the Department of Social protection are working with those in the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, who are leading the project, in developing proposals to give effect to this transfer. The intention is, following the commencement of the relevant legislation, that the HAP testing phase would be initiated in the selected local authorities during 2014.

Overall, HAP will provide a more integrated and streamlined service for persons and households seeking support from the State to meet long term housing costs and will provide local authorities greater flexibility to provide assistance to those in need of social housing. The measure will secure better value for money for the Exchequer in ensuring that rental payments are conditional on adherence to improved accommodation standards. One of the key benefits that HAP will bring is the removal of barriers for people currently in receipt of rent supplement in returning to employment which is consistent with the Governments commitments under the Pathways to Work programme. The engagement of people in employment will ultimately bring about wider social benefits, both to the individual and their families and also to the economy. The transfer of the long term recipients to the housing authorities will assist in returning rent supplement to its original purpose of providing short term support to those unemployed.