Rent Allowance for Sheltered Housing
556. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason the level of rent allowance for those in sheltered housing is considerably less than tenants in private rented accommodation; the plans she has to increase rent allowance for sheltered housing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18315/03]
Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan): The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards, provides for the payment of a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of rent to eligible persons in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation needs.
Rent supplements are normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to his or her family circumstances, less a minimum contribution of €12 which recipients are required to pay from their own resources.
There is a limit on the maximum amount of rent supplement payable to tenants in sheltered accommodation provided under the capital assistance scheme. Under the terms of the scheme, capital grants ranging from 90% to 95% are made available through local authorities, to approved voluntary bodies to provide accommodation for persons accepted as qualified for local authority housing. In addition to the non-repayable capital grants, subsidies may also be paid under section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988. In these circumstances a limit is set on the maximum amount of rent supplement payable to tenants in these circumstances.
With effect from January 2003 the maximum amount of rent supplement payable to tenants residing in this type of accommodation was increased to €45 per week for a couple and €40 for a single person. There are no plans currently to further increase the levels of supplement payable in these cases.