Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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623. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of social housing applications made to each relevant housing authority from April 2020 to date that were refused due to the fact the applicant was in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment in tabular form. [14252/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not hold the information as requested by the Deputy with respect to the number of social housing applicants that were refused due to being in receipt of pandemic unemployment payment.

Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.

The 2011 Regulations 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 2011 Regulations do not provide local authorities with any discretion to exceed the limits that apply to their administrative areas.

In relation to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), Circular 38/2020 regarding the treatment of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) when assessing and/or reviewing income eligibility for social housing support, was issued to local authorities in December 2020. The Circular advises that the PUP payment should be considered as temporary in the overall context of an applicant household's income.

Decisions on the qualification of specific persons for social housing support and the allocation of that support are a matter solely for the local authority concerned.