The Minister for Social Protection, Regina Doherty, has revealed changes to make rent supplement available more easily to victims of domestic violence.
Under these new rules, victims of domestic violence can get immediate access to rent supplement for a three month period to ensure that they are not prevented from leaving their home because of financial concerns.
The usual means test will not apply for this three month period. The process will work based on referrals from Tusla-funded services; referrals from An Garda Síochána and the HSE will also be possible.
After the three-month period, a further three-month extension may be provided, subject to the usual rent supplement means assessment.
After six months, if the tenant has a long term housing need, they can apply to their local housing authority for social housing supports and, if eligible, will be able to access HAP.
Minister Doherty said: "The current restriction on movement and the increased confinement of many people to their homes has brought the issue of domestic abuse into stark relief.
"As a long-time advocate on behalf of those who suffer from such abuse, I am determined that no one should suffer additional trauma during the current health emergency."
"For that reason, I am introducing a relaxation of the means-test normally required to qualify for rent supplement - support with deposit payments and rent costs - for an initial three months for victims of domestic violence.
"After three months, the individual's ongoing entitlement will be reviewed based on the normal means-test for the scheme."
The Minister's announcement, welcomed by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in a video with Ms Doherty on Twitter today, follows proposals from Safe Ireland for such assistance.
Victims of domestic violence will now have much easier access to rent supplement. pic.twitter.com/rPE9QADt1g
— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) June 14, 2020
Welcoming the announcement, Mary McDermott Co-CEO of Safe Ireland said: "This support will enable women and children fleeing violent partners to be sheltered quickly and safely regardless of their circumstances and directly addresses, in particular, the financial abuse which pervades many abusive relationships."
Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald said she welcomed the decision of the government to make rent supplement more easily available to victims of domestic violence but added "it is unacceptable that it took almost three months for this to happen".
Garda statistics recently indicated that the number of calls for help relating to domestic violence increased 25% this year while more than 100 people were charged in the last two weeks of May as part of a new crackdown on violence in the home.
