Rent supplement and HAP delays
Deputy Ellis said tenants were being left without rent supplement while HAP applications were stalled, pushing families toward homelessness. The Tánaiste said HAP was intended to be better than rent supplement but agreed problems for individual families should be examined and followed up.
As the Tánaiste may recall, legislation was introduced by the Government to transfer people from rent supplement to the housing assistance payment, HAP. People are finding it impossible to find a HAP property or even get their landlord to sign up for one. The Department has taken the decision to stop rent supplement payments until a HAP application has been signed up to and approved. I know of a good number of cases in which rent supplement has been withheld for months, which is putting families under threat as well as making them homeless. We need to stop this practice urgently. I am sure the Tánaiste will agree there have been unforeseen consequences as a result of the legislation because people in the welfare sector are interpreting it in this way.
Comment on this
I would like to hear a bit more about it and perhaps I can come back to the Deputy on it. The idea of shifting people from rent supplement to the HAP was to provide more security. I see Members shaking their heads. HAP is a much better system for tenants and landlords than rent supplement.
If there are problems for individual families regarding the transition from one to the other, then we need to understand that. I will get someone to respond to the Deputy on this issue.