Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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10. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form by local authority the number of recipients of rent supplement; the number transferred to the housing assistance payment; the total costs of rent supplement in 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44709/14]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term support to eligible people 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. There are currently approximately 72,500 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014.

The Department’s strategic policy direction is to transfer responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with a long-term housing need to local authorities under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). HAP will provide a more integrated system of housing supports and has been designed to allow any households that find full-time employment to remain in the scheme. Rent supplement will continue to be paid to those already in the private rented sector who have a short-term need of rental support, often as a result of the loss of employment.

HAP was introduced in Cork County Council, Limerick City and County Council and Waterford City and County Council on 15th September, 2014 and in South Dublin County Council, Kilkenny County Council, Monaghan County Council and Louth County Council on 1st October, 2014.

To date, over 200 customers have been taken onto the HAP scheme, which includes both direct transfers from the rent supplement scheme and new applicants that have being assessed as qualifying for social housing support by the local authority.

Department of Social Protection officials are continuing to work closely with those in the lead Department of Environment, Community and Local Government to support the implementation of HAP within the selected local authorities.

HAP Statistics by Local Authority are provided in the attached tabular statement. Statistics on rent supplement recipients are maintained on a County basis. Rent Supplement recipients and expenditure for 2012 and 2013 are also provided.

Table 1: HAP Recipients by Local Authority