Written answers

Tuesday, 8 July 2014

Department of Social Protection

Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

375. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons that have been given rent supplement in excess of the maximum amount by her Department after making contact with the Threshold phoneline. [29146/14]

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

432. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if there is any bar on a private landlord registered with the Private Residential Tenancies Board offering rental accommodation to a rent supplement eligible tenant who is also a family member. [29930/14]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 375 and 432 together.

The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources. 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. There are currently approximately 76,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014.

There is no specific restriction on landlords renting to family members provided all of the qualifying criteria for the rent supplement scheme have been met. Under the rules governing entitlement to rent supplement, the Department must establish that the applicant is a bona fide tenant. In determining whether the applicant is a bona fide tenant the Department will generally require documentary evidence including: details of the lease agreement; proof of ownership of the property; documentation that the tenancy has been registered with the PRTB; and documentation detailing payments made to the landlord.

The Department has agreed a protocol with the Dublin local authorities, in conjunction with voluntary organisations, so that families in receipt of rent supplement and at risk of losing existing private rented accommodation can have more timely and appropriate interventions made on their behalf. The public awareness campaign “Preventing Families from becoming Homeless in the Dublin Region” was launched on 17th June 2014 to advertise this protocol. As of 4th July 2014, 20 cases have been referred to the Department of which 6 rent supplement recipients were provided with increased rental payments. The remaining 14 cases are being processed in line with the terms of the protocol.

I can assure the Deputies that Department officials have considerable experience in dealing with customers of the scheme and continue to make every effort to ensure that their accommodation needs are met.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.