Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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282. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide the data he has available on the number of households that were rendered ineligible for social housing due to an uplift to the working families payment in January 2025. [53167/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not hold the data requested. 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 Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended, prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority in different bands according to the area concerned, with income defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy.

The policy provides for a range of income disregards and local authorities have discretion to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once-off in nature. All income from social assistance payments, allowances and benefits, including the working family payment, is assessable.

The payments included in the Policy were last reviewed in 2021. As it was found that the majority of working family payment recipients are in receipt of the payment for more than one year, it was recommended that the working family payment should not be considered short term in nature and, therefore, should remain as assessable income. However, my Department keeps the Household Means Policy under regular review in order to ensure that it continues to be appropriate.

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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283. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the social housing income thresholds will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53169/25]

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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284. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of times the income eligibility thresholds for social housing have been increased nationally in the past 15 years; the years in which those increases occurred; the increased that occurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53170/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 283 and 284 together.

A standard procedure for assessing applicants for social housing was introduced in every local authority on 1 April 2011, through the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.

The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribed maximum net income limits for eligibility for social housing supports in each local authority, in different bands according to the area, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. Upon introduction of the 2011 Regulations, the maximum income limits per individual (main applicant) was set in three bands at €35,000, €30,000 and €25,000.

Housing for All includes a commitment to review income eligibility for social housing. From this review, completed in November 2021, it was recommended moving five local authorities from Band 3 to Band 2, ensuring the income eligibility thresholds better reflect housing costs in those counties. Government also agreed to increase the baseline income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds thus increased to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively.

The review further recommended the commissioning of research to develop options for a revised or new social housing income eligibility model. My Department received this detailed research, commissioned by the Housing Agency. The scope of the research included examining the existing income limits in the context of current market and population conditions and the suitability or otherwise of the current framework having regard to the significantly changed landscape since the standardised income limits were introduced.

My Department's examination of the report is ongoing. This detailed examination will include consultation with stakeholders and will look at, inter alia, how the social housing income limits system interacts with other housing supports and ensure that they continue to target households correctly.