John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

644. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the means test for eligibility for social housing will be reviewed; if he has given consideration to allowing maintenance payments for children who are not living with the person being assessed to be deducted against gross income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47750/18]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

666. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the review being carried out into income limits for eligibility for social housing will be completed and a decision taken on the proposals in view of the very low thresholds that apply at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48270/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 644 and 666 together.

The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy.

The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band were based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs, plus a comparative analysis of the local rental cost of housing accommodation across the country. It is important to note that the limits introduced at that time also reflected a blanket increase of €5,000 introduced prior to the new system coming into operation, in order to broaden the base from which social housing tenants are drawn, both promoting sustainable communities and also providing a degree of future-proofing.

Under the Household Means Policy, which applies in all local authorities, net income for social housing assessment is defined as gross household income less income tax, PRSI and the universal social charge. The Policy provides for a range of income disregards, and local authorities also have discretion to decide to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once off in nature. There is no provision in the policy to deduct any other regular outgoings, such as maintenance paid in respect of family members, from gross household income for the purposes of the income threshold.

As part of the broader social housing reform agenda, a review of income eligibility for social housing supports in each local authority area is underway and the Household Means Policy is being reviewed as part of this process. The Housing Agency is continuing to carry out the detailed statistical work, which will underpin this review on behalf of my Department.

The review will have regard to current initiatives being brought forward in terms of affordability and cost rental and will be completed when the impacts of these parallel initiatives have been considered.