HAP limits 'outdated'

Westmeath councillors have warned that current Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) limits are no longer fit for purpose and are preventing tenants from accessing rental accommodation.

Cllr Ken Glynn said the limits are now so far below market rents that they are effectively “a pointless waste of time”.

“They’re not [creating] a level playing field [so] that anybody that has HAP available to them can compete on the private rental market,” he said, adding that it had been too long since the limits were put in place.

He added that the situation is contributing to rising housing pressure and frustration among applicants.

Responding, director of services Jackie Finney acknowledged the difficulties, confirming that HAP limits have not been updated since 2016.

She said local authorities nationwide have repeatedly raised the issue with the Department of Housing, but that the current policy focus remains on increasing housing supply.

“We recognise the frustration — they are out of line with market rents,” she said.

While some discretion can be applied in individual cases, she said the council’s ability to act is limited, with broader changes requiring national policy decisions.

Councillors also heard that the department is reviewing HAP levels, although no timeline for changes has been provided.

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