Voluntary group urges Brennan to restore rent supplement

A coalition of 42 voluntary organisations has reiterated its plea to the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mr Brennan, to reverse last year's rent supplement cut .

Led by the housing charity Threshold, the coalition said the human cost of this cut was "enormous".

The cut - one of the "savage 16" introduced by Mr Brennan's predecessor Ms Mary Coughlan - introduced a rule according to which a person must be already renting private accommodation for six months before being eligible for the supplement.

A spokesman for Threshold said the coalition was "greatly encouraged" by Mr Brennan's assertion that if the cuts had caused proven hardships, he would rescind them.

The spokesman referred to a recent report from the charity Centrecare, which found "extreme hardship" as a result of the rent supplement cut.

It cited examples of people who would have been eligible for the supplement but were now experiencing enormous difficulties.

In one a young lone mother living in overcrowded conditions was refused the supplement. In another case, a young man became ill, lost his job and began receiving disability benefit.

While sick he was looked after by friends. Once recovered he wished to move into private rented accommodation and get a job. He was refused the supplement as he had no history of renting. This was, according to Centrecare, despite the fact he had paid tax and PRSI for seven years.

Ms Yvonne Fleming, manager of Centrecare, said: "People are trapped in poverty with no support to pay their rent and no other options. Rent supplement must be restored to help these people in crisis."

The director of Threshold, Mr Patrick Burke, said rescinding the cut would cost "less than €15 million".

Mr Brennan told The Irish Times last week he had asked his Department to examine each of the 16 cuts. He hoped to be in a position to make announcements on which cuts, if any, would be adjusted or reversed within the next fortnight.

Among other members of the coalition are the Simon Communities of Ireland, Focus Ireland, St Vincent de Paul, the Irish Refugee Council and Merchant's Quay Ireland.