Wexford has highest number claiming the rent supplement outside of Dublin
COUNTY Wexford has among the highest number of people claiming rent allowance in the country per capita.
Figures released to this newspaper from the Department of Social Protection show that between 2010 and June of this year the county - along with County Kildare - had, on average, the highest number of people claiming rent supplement payments per capita nationally outside of Dublin.
In 2010 4,055 people claimed the allowance. The figure rose to 4,102 in 2011, falling to 3,700 in 2012, 3,179 in 2013, 2,700 people in 2014, 2,296 in 2015 and 2,098 in June.
The majority of payments are made to long term recipients.
The county also had among the highest per capita of people receiving mortgage interest supplement payments at 348.
After four years, new ‘maximum’ rent supplement payment rates came into effect this month.
The rate was expected to increase by between 15 per cent and 29 per cent in the county, but the average rate increase was 7.6 per cent.
The single shared rate increased from €250 to €280; the sharing couple rate jumped from €270 to €300; the single rate rose from €375 to €420; the couple with no children payment increased from €390 to €433; the single parent or parents with one child payment increased from €500 to €530; the couple or lone parent with two children rate increased from €540 to €565 and the couple or lone parent with three children payment rose from €575 to €600, which is the maximum.
Wexford County Council facilitates the Department of Social Protection in processing house and apartment rental applications from people on the social housing list.
Director of Services for Housing with Wexford County Council, John Carley said there are 4,200 people awaiting social housing in the county, adding that housing people in Gorey and Wexford is proving particularly difficult.
Mr Carley said when a case is effectively made the local authority can be flexible in the amount of monthly rent it allows a tenant to pay. This can be in the region of €700, €100 more than the maximum usually allowed.
Mr Carley said: ‘ There are different pockets of the county, mainly in North Wexford and in Wexford town, where the situation is difficult as we are competing against holiday makers and there are a limited number of houses coming available. We are able to accommodate most people elsewhere. We look at each case on its merits.’
He said Gorey and Wexford applicants are often asked to be flexible about where they live. This means families are often offered houses some distance from a town or village centre.
‘ That doesn’t suit everybody. In some cases we do have the accommodation and in other cases we don’t. In Enniscorthy and New Ross there is more flexibility and more accommodation available but some people don’t like the accommodation that is available.’
So far this year Wexford County Council has housed 500 people who were deemed to be homeless.
Mr Carley welcomed the Government’s ‘Rebuilding Ireland’ housing plan, launched by Minister for Housing Simon Coveney on Tuesday, which contains an ambitious five pillar housing strategy.
He said: ‘ There are the resources there to back it up and we have a Government minister who is taking responsibility. We are currently building houses and we will continue to ramp up our house building programme, but there are also many other housing solutions from buying houses in the market and doing up houses to dealing with housing bodies.’
A Department of Social Protection spokesperson said: ‘ The Rent Supplement scheme plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 54,000 people with expenditure of over €267 million for 2016. There are many factors for the fall in recipient numbers since they reached a peak of some 97,000 in 2010. This fall can be attributed to the improving economy and reduction in the Live Register.
‘A key driver for the reduction is the significant change in rent supplement policy with the introduction of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme. Under HAP responsibility for the provision of rental assistance to those with a long-term housing need transfers from the Department of Social Protection to the local authorities. HAP is now operational in 19 of the 31 local authority areas with approximately 11,100 households in payment.’
It is not opeational in County Wexford.
There are currently approximately 2,600 people in receipt of the Mortgage Interest Supplement (MIS) scheme with expenditure of over €7 million for 2016.
The spokesperson said: ‘ The MIS scheme was discontinued for new applicants from January 1, 2014, with customers availing of this support prior to January 1, 2014, retaining entitlement until the closure of the scheme on January 1, 2018. The most appropriate support for families experiencing mortgage difficulties is on-going engagement with their lender to explore sustainable solutions.’