Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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79. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider amending section 290 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 in order to reinstate the lough payment scheme until there are suitable and affordable saving, credit and payment options available to financially marginalised persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30930/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Household Budget facility, operated by An Post on behalf of the Department of Social Protection, provides customers with a facility to have their household utility bills and social rents deducted directly from their weekly social welfare payment. While some 33,000 housing authority tenants have availed of the facility in terms of social rents, the housing authorities were experiencing difficulties with tenants subsequently cancelling the arrangements. In 2012, in order to address this issue, legislative amendments to Section 290 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005, specific to housing authority rents, were introduced to ensure that once a person participates in a household budgeting arrangement they cannot withdraw from the arrangement without the consent of the relevant housing authority or housing body. This change has been implemented in respect of all new applications made under the Household Budget scheme in respect of housing authority rents from January 2014, which will support the collection of rents for local authorities and will also facilitate the pilot phase of the new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).

There are a number of Money Advice and Budgeting Services (MABS) companies which have been assisting and supporting their clients with a facility to make direct deductions from their social welfare payments for bill paying purposes through historical arrangements put in place by Cork MABS and the Lough Credit Union, using the Household Budget facility operated by An Post. This arrangement is known as the Lough Payment Scheme or MABSlink. The purpose of the Household Budget facility is to facilitate deductions from social welfare payments for specified creditors. The Lough Payment Scheme catered for a variety of creditors, some outside those specified for the Household Budget facility. The local MABS companies involved are working closely with those currently availing of the Lough Payment Scheme to help put alternative arrangements in place.

The Citizens Information Board, which has statutory responsibility for the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is liaising with the local MABS companies concerned. Particular effort is being made to ensure that suitable alternative options are made available and that clients will be fully supported through the transition to the alternative arrangement. I am informed that the current arrangements will continue for the remaining clients on an administrative basis in the interim.