Blessington loses out as commuter towns on M11 given best rate

THE subject of rent supplement or rent allowance, as it is often referred to, can be a difficult one for renters who are on the hunt for a suitable property.

Given its close proximity to Dublin, Wicklow differs from many other counties in that certain towns along the M11 are subject to higher rent allowance thresholds than the rest of the county.

Those seeking to rent in Bray, Greystones, Delgany and Wicklow can claim significantly larger rent supplement payments than those renting in other towns, including Blessington which is also a short distance from Dublin, but not on the M11.

A lone parent or a couple with one child is entitled to claim up to €700 in rent supplement across the county, but this level goes up to €1,150 for M11 commuter towns.

A lone parent or a couple with three children can claim up to €770, rising to €1,250 along the M11 corridor.

These rates were implemented in July of this year, following a review by the Department of Social Protection.

A spokesperson for the Department said that the increases are ‘evidence-based’.

‘ The increases provided are evidence based and reflect the pressures on rental properties in each particular location, with the rent limits for all counties benchmarked considering the main urban centre impacting the county’s rental market. Wicklow is effectively divided into two rental markets; those commuter towns situated along the M11 motorway, and the rest of Wicklow, with M11 commuter towns seeing a weighted increase in rent limits of 30 per cent, and a weighted increase of some 14 per cent in the rest of county.’

‘ The higher rates are applicable in the Bray, Delgany, Greystones areas and have also been extended to Wicklow town, reflecting the high rental prices in these areas. The rent limits for Blessington are as for the rest of Wicklow county,’ the spokesperson added.

The Department outlined that it ‘continues to implement a targeted, flexible, case-by-case approach where rents may exceed the maximum limits’.

The shortage of social housing is no secret in Co Wicklow and the current crisis has been well documented.

According to the Wicklow Local Economic & Community Plan 2016-2022, a ‘worrying’ level of people are considered to be ‘ long-term’ rent supplement recipients.

‘Wicklow has more that the national average of social housing. There is a high rate of people in receipt of rent supplement (1,943) and the length of claims is growing. Over 70 per cent are considered longterm; a worrying figure that has grown significantly in recent years. This points to a high level of need for social housing in the county,’ the report outlined.