Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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1134. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the documentation which is accepted by SUSI for persons who are ‘hidden homeless’ that is couch surfing in other people’s houses (details supplied) and unable to provide proof of address through a utility bill/lease; if exceptions will be made in these instances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61267/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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An official from my Department has advised that a checklist letter was sent to the student referred to by the Deputy on 25 July 2025, requesting evidence of independent residence that covers 2024 (no later than October) and 2025 (no later than the date of entry to their current course). As listed in the same checklist letter the following documents are accepted by SUSI as evidence of living independently:

• A letter confirming that the address is registered with Residential Tenancies Board (RTB);
• A Local Authority lease agreement or a letter confirming the applicant’s rental under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) or any Government housing scheme/arrangement. Private housing lease agreements will not be accepted;
• A letter on headed paper from a Rental Agency confirming the applicant’s tenancy;
• A letter confirming the receipt and period of Rent Allowance, Mortgage Interest Supplement or Housing Assistance Payment (HAP);
• A utility bill in the applicant’s own name, for example; landline telephone, fixed broadband, gas, electricity, cable/satellite television bill, home heating bills, waste bills, mortgage statements and/or property tax letters. SUSI does not accept mobile telephone bills. If the utility bills in the household are in the applicant’s spouse's name, please provide the marriage certificate with the utility bill. If the applicant and their spouse are co-habiting, we will accept utility bills in their partner's name covering the relevant period together with correspondence e.g. bank statement/Statement of Liability issued to the applicant at the same address and covering the relevant period; and/or
• Official documentation posted to the applicant at this address and relating to the applicant’s residence there. For example, a letter from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection confirming Rent Allowance at this address. Please Note: we do not accept bank statements alone for this purpose.

The document referred to by the deputy does not appear to have been sent to SUSI. Instead a letter from the relevant county council was furnished which references a housing application by the Applicant together with other documentation which confirms independent residence for the period 2020-2024 but not for the period from 2024 up to the commencement of their course.

SUSI has advised my officials that they receive a number of applications every year from applicants who are homeless or living in temporary accommodation. In the case of applicants who are required to demonstrate to SUSI that they are living independently from their parents or legal guardians, they can accept documents demonstrating that they were accessing supports in relation to their situation, for example from the Simon Community, Threshold and so on. I would encourage the student to seek to obtain a document of this nature and send it to SUSI as their application is still open.

If a student is dissatisfied with a decision in relation to their grant application they can appeal to a SUSI Appeals Officer. If they remain dissatisfied with the decision of the Appeals Officer, they can further appeal to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe (i.e. not later than 30 days after the notification of the determination of the appeals officer to the applicant).

Students experiencing exceptional financial need may be eligible to apply for supports under the Student Assistance Fund (SAF). This Fund assists students in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Students in need of support should contact the Access Office in the higher education institution they attend to check what supports may be available.

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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1135. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the current SUSI grant assessment criteria, given that some parents are being penalised where a dependent child previously worked full-time but is now returning to full-time education, resulting in the loss of that income; if he will consider allowing this change in circumstances to be reflected in the means assessment so that families are not unfairly excluded from grant support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61272/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The objective of the statutory based student grant scheme is to provide additional assistance where household income is below a certain threshold. For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents/legal guardian or as independent mature students.

A candidate's reckonable income for the purposes of the student grant means test is gross income from all sources, including the gross income of their parents/guardians (in the case of dependent students) or of their spouse/partner (in the case of independent students) where applicable, with certain specified Department of Social Protection Payments being exempt. Grant assistance may not be awarded in any case where the reckonable income exceeds the prescribed income limits for the award of a grant.

A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if they have attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in studies of at least three years and are not ordinarily resident with their parents from the previous 1st October. Otherwise, they would continue to be assessed on the basis of parental income.

It is open to an applicant to apply for a "Change in Circumstances" review from SUSI if there is a change in household income, such as a job loss or a permanent reduction in salary. Students can request a review through the student portal, by stating that the grounds for review are "Change in Circumstances," and provide a detailed explanation along with supporting documents.

Students may also be eligible to apply to the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) for financial support. This Fund is open to both full and part-time registered students on courses of not less than one year's duration leading to an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification. Further details of the fund is available from the Access Office in the higher education institution attended or at www.studentfinance.ie.

In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may also be available in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from the student’s local Tax Office or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie.

The Student Grant Scheme is kept under continuous review. However, any changes to student status can only be considered in the context of the budgetary allocation, having regard to overall resource constraints and other competing demands in the further and higher education sector.