Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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291. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of households in receipt of rent supplement, with a breakdown according to the reason for the reduction in the numbers on rent supplement since January 2015 and including the numbers moved on to housing assistance payment, HAP, and rental accommodation scheme, RAS; the number coming off rent supplement due to being permanently housed in local authority or approved housing body housing; the number coming off rent supplement as a result of becoming homeless; the number coming off rent supplement as a result of moving in with family members; and the number coming off rent supplement as a result of no longer needing any social housing support. [7164/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The rent supplement scheme plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 47,100 tenants for which the Government has provided €253 million for in 2017.

Rent supplement customer numbers have declined by some 23,700 during the two years commencing January, 2015 (70,800) and ending January, 2017 (47,100) representing a 33% decline over the period under consideration.

Since January 2015 there have been approximately 18,000 housing assistance payment (HAP) recipients brought onto the scheme of which 6,000 (33%) have been accredited as direct transfers from rent supplement. The rental accommodation scheme (RAS) which continues its operations has during the same period transferred approximately 5,800 households from rent supplement, of which 2,800 were transferred to traditional local authority social housing stock, with the remainder transferred to private landlord or voluntary housing arrangements.

In addition with the on-going transfer of long term rent supplement cases to local authority sponsored solutions, rent supplement’s recipient numbers also reflect the overall decline in the live register numbers for the period under review. As at January 2015 there were 360,200 persons on the live register, as at January 2017 there are some 278,600 persons, representing a 23% decline during the two year period. The continuing improvement in the economy means less people seeking support due to temporary unemployment and more exiting the scheme securing employment.

Statistics are not generally maintained for those exiting the rent supplement scheme, i.e., those entering homeless; moving in with family members; and those no longer requiring social housing support. In view of the on-going supply side difficulties within the housing market, my Department continues to implement a targeted case-by-case policy approach that allows for flexibility where landlords seek rents in excess of the rent supplement maximum limits. Since the introduction of this flexible approach, in excess of 11,000 persons at imminent risk of homelessness have been supported through increased rent supplement payments.

In tandem with the increased rental limits introduced in July 2016 and on-going transfers to the HAP scheme, my Department continues to implement a targeted, flexible, case-by-case approach where rents may exceed the appropriate maximum limit ensuring where possible that tenants can remain in their homes.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.