Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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284. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if income of no more than €14,000 earned from renting a room in a home is now excluded from all means tests applied by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46495/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In May 2022, I announced a series of measures designed to remove barriers facing social welfare customers who choose to accommodate people in their homes.

The Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. 10) (Income Disregard) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 397 of 2022), and the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) (Amendment) (No. 3) (Calculation of Means) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 396 of 2022) were signed on 12th of July 2022.

These regulations provide that certain income received, up to a maximum of €269.23 weekly (which equates to €14,000 per annum), by a person by renting out a room in their home to a person who is not an employee or an immediate family member, for at least 28 consecutive days, will be disregarded in the assessment of means for the purposes of weekly social assistance payments, increases for qualified adults and the Working Family Payment.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.