Threshold refers 169 at-risk Dublin families for rent ‘top-ups’

Rent supplement "top-ups" have been paid to more than 80 per cent of Dublin families referred by Threshold to the Department of Social Protection because they are at risk of losing their homes.

In response to the housing crisis in Dublin, last June the department agreed to approve additional payments in excess of rent supplement limits for families who were at immediate risk of becoming homeless because their State entitlements did not cover their rent.

The top-ups are only available to families, and only those living in one of the four Dublin local authority areas. To qualify a family must be assessed by Threshold’s Tenancy Protection Service as being at immediate risk of losing their home, and all attempts by Threshold to reach alternative agreements with the landlord must have been exhausted.

Referrals

The housing charity has to date referred 169 cases to the department, and 138 families have been approved for extra payments, while 22 cases are still under consideration. Five have been withdrawn with the agreement of either the tenant or landlord, and three have been refused for top-ups because the additional rent required was too high. Just one family has found alternative housing within the existing rent limits.

The rent supplement limit is €950 a month for families in Fingal and €1,000 a month in Dublin city, Dún Laoghaire/ Rathdown and South Dublin.

There is no set limit on the top-up, but they can only be paid for a maximum of 26 weeks, with a review at the 13-week mark.

Additional rents

In 42 per cent of cases additional rents of €201-€300 a month are being paid. A further 23 per cent of families are receiving an extra €101-€200, 12 per cent get €301-€400 extra, 11 per cent are getting €25-€100 extra and 2 per cent get a €401-€500 top up. For 10 per cent of families a top-up of zero is recorded, but most of these cases related to agreements made before last June.

Threshold chief executive Bob Jordan said the organisation doesn't know what will happen after the 26-week period expires. However, he said rent supplement levels were due to be reviewed by the department in December and he hoped they would reflect the reality of market rents.

“New rent supplement limits will come in in 2015. The current supplement is clearly inadequate, but in addition to increasing the payments in general, we would like to see more flexibility to deal with exceptional circumstances.”

Threshold began its family tenancy protection service helpline last June. To date it has received 2,050 calls, more than 40 per cent of which were from families at risk of losing their homes. In 75 per cent of these cases landlords have said they are selling the property.