James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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581. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on the way in which the working family payment is treated as income when registering for social housing supports while council mortgage applicants cannot include the working family payment as an income. [27547/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Social Housing Support Household Means Policy sets out the manner in which housing authorities will assess the means of applicant households for the purpose of determining the household’s ability to provide accommodation from its own means and by extension its eligibility, or otherwise, for social housing support.

The determination of whether an applicant household meets the income criteria is based on a calculation of net income. Net income means that income tax, Universal Social Charge, pension-related deduction within the meaning of Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009, and PRSI are deducted from the relevant assessable gross income. The income of all persons aged 18 years and over included in a social housing application is assessed for the purposes of determining whether an applicant household meets the income requirements.

In general, all income is assessable including all social welfare payments received except a specific list of payments that include for example child benefit, education grants, carer's allowance, payments under FAS schemes and fuel allowance. The Means Policy specifically states that Family Income Supplement (now known as Working Family Payment or WFP) is deemed to be income for the purposes of assessing eligibility for social housing. This is appropriate for assessing the level of social housing support that may be given, as such support is based on the means of the household seeking the support and may be subject to review if the circumstances of the household change. The Social Housing Support Household Means Policy was developed in 2011 and is currently under review by my Department, with a view to assessing whether the approach taken is still appropriate in the current housing context and to ensure that household income is treated in a consistent manner across the social housing system.

With regard to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme, it is not, as a general rule, available to those in receipt of unemployment or other social welfare benefits. However, where there is a primary income of a waged or salaried nature, long-term State benefit payments may be considered. State benefit payments allowable are:

- State Pension (Contributory);

- State pension (Non-Contributory);

- Widow’s/Widower’s Pension;

- Blind Pension;

- Invalidity Pension; and

- Disability Allowance.

The reason that these payment are considered as assessable income for the scheme is that they are long-term payments. The inclusion of other social welfare payments, which are more short-term, would not be appropriate in determining a capacity of applicants to repay a loan over a period of up to 30 years, as is the case with the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan.

The long-term nature of the social welfare payment must be confirmed by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. All applications are dealt with on a case-by-case basis and are referred to the relevant local authority's Credit Committee for a final decision.