Concern over plans to take social housing rents from welfare payments

A working group's been set up to consider deducting council tenants' rent directly from their social welfare payments.

It's thought it could help people to manage their money better and tackle high rent arrears. Almost 38 million euro is owed to Dublin city council, the biggest local authority in the country. Concern has been raised about plans to take social housing rents directly from tenants' welfare payments. The Department of Housing says the proposal is being considered by a working group and could help minimise arrears and make collecting rents more efficient. Mike Allen from Focus Ireland says a voluntarily scheme works well but making it compulsory could cause problems. "Entering into a voluntary agreement, having discussion with people and understanding the difficulties they are dealing with is a much better way of dealing with that moving to compulsory schemes. "I'm sure that will be taken into account, the local authorities are conscious of that. "The extension of it to people on HAP and care leavers in their housing, I think may be very welcome." Rosslare Fine Gael Counillor Frank Staples has bee responding to the news. "Everybody has to pay their rent, that is the contract you sign up for when you get a house from the council. "If there was consultation with the tenant and the council to do so, then that would be fair enough . "But across the board I wouldn't do it. "I wouldn't be in favour of it, particularly now, with the cost of living going up and the social welfare people are getting, it could be difficult to live on. "At the moment I wouldn't do it across the board." Back to news Follow South East Radio on: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – Linkedin