SVP Quarterly Review of National Social Issues
By John Monaghan, SVP National Social Justice and Policy Committee
As a State we are spending over €500 million each year on Rent Supplement, a system that was supposed to provide short-term support for people in need of accommodation. Unfortunately Rent Supplement has become a more permanent response to the housing needs of many people, because of the abject failure of local authorities to provide a sufficient supply of appropriate social housing.
Despite an unprecedented building boom we have the scandal that there are still more than 53,000 households, about 140,000 adults and children, on local authority social housing waiting lists. One unfortunate side affect of having to accommodate so many people on rent supplement is that Community Welfare Officers have been unable to enforce good standards and value for money for this private rented accommodation. most members of the SVP know of people living in terrible conditions and paying a ‘top-up’ in addition to their normal rent, in order to secure what all-too-frequently is poor and unsuitable accommodation.
While the Rent Supplement system might ‘cure’ the immediate housing needs of people it can unfortunately create a poverty-trap. This is because a person can lose their rent supplement if they return to full-time education or take up a full-time job for more than 30 hours per week. So much for encouraging people on rent supplement to move from welfare to work. When you consider that many of those on welfare have low educational qualifications and might have caring or childcare responsibilities then their chance of securing a flexible job that will provide sufficient income to pay their full rent is very slim.
This means that often they face a choice between taking a job’ and making the media and other commentators happy that they are no longer ‘welfare spongers, yet run the risk of making themselves and their families homeless – isn’t that some choice.
So what is the SVP answer?
We need to speak out against the idiocy of the current system, to keep arguing for the provision of an adequate number of appropriate social housing units, to continue to press that people are moved from rent supplement to permanent accommodation on normal rent within 18 months, enabling them to take up employment, put down roots in a community and provide for the long-term security of their families. But while they are on Rent Supplement they must not be penalised for showing initiative and trying to secure a better future for themselves and their children.
To view this audio player, you need to update your Flash Player - 
Download soundfile.mp3 to your computer
You can hear John Monaghan’s views in the Podcast on this page.