Social housing support’s income bands require review, says Cork TD

A Cork TD has called for an urgent review of the qualifying income levels for social housing supports.

The Department of Housing divides the country into three bands for the purposes of allocation of social housing, with each band applying different maximum income thresholds.

Cork city is in band one, and the maximum net income limit for a single person applying for social housing in the city is currently €40,000 per annum.

Band one also includes Dublin city, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Galway city, Co Meath, South Dublin, Co Kildare, and Co Wicklow.

Cork county is in band two, where the maximum net income limits for a single person applying for social housing is €35,000 per annum. In band three, the limit is €30,000.

These limits are increased if there are other members in a household, with an additional 5% of the basic maximum income limit applied for every adult member of the household, up to a maximum of 10%, or two additional adults, and an additional 2.5% is applied for every child in the household.

Séamus McGrath, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South Central, said the thresholds needed to be examined again.

“The qualifying income limits for social housing supports need to be reviewed again as a matter of urgency,” he said. “The last change was over two years ago and these limits should ideally be index-linked. I regularly meet constituents who are working on modest incomes and they are over the income limits.

“Once they are over the limits, they receive no support whatsoever.”

Mr McGrath said there was “a sizeable cohort of people” whose income was too high for social housing or rent support, but was not high enough to be able to afford to purchase a home, even under various Government schemes, such as affordable housing.

“The large number of people in this income bracket deserve help and adjusting the qualifying income limits upwards would be an important step in the right direction,” he said.

In a written reply to a parliamentary question from Mr McGrath, Housing Minister James Browne said his department was currently looking at research commissioned by the Housing Agency.

“My department is now undertaking a detailed examination of the report, in order to develop a new social housing income eligibility model in line with the ‘Housing for All’ action plan update,” Mr Browne said.