Single parents ‘struggling’ as Meath social housing rents come under fire
Social housing rents in Meath are placing significant pressure on working tenants, with single parents struggling to make ends meet, a local councillor has said.
At the April meeting of Meath County Council, Sinn Féin councillor Fionnan Blake called for a review of the council’s Differential Rent Scheme “with a view to assisting single parents in full-time employment”.
The Differential Rent Scheme calculates social housing rent based on household income, household size, and other allowances.
Cllr Blake said single parents in full-time work were among those most affected, particularly where additional income such as overtime is taken into account during rent assessments.
“Single working parents are really struggling, especially if they have children in secondary school,” he said.
He outlined the case of one parent who worked overtime to cover the cost of school activities, only to see their rent increase following a review.
“There’s a disincentive to work overtime and try to better yourself and your family’s lives,” he said, adding that the tenant felt she was being penalised for working extra hours.
Cllr Blake said the current system could leave working families feeling worse off, and suggested overtime should not be included when calculating rent.
He also raised concerns about the use of hardship applications, describing the process as “degrading and demoralising” for some tenants.
“We have a cost-of-living crisis. People are struggling to put food on the table and heat their homes,” he said.
In response, Meath County Council said its Differential Rent Scheme is subject to an annual review, taking into account the costs of managing, maintaining and investing in housing stock.
“The scheme operates on a standardised, income-based basis and applies consistently across all tenancies, with each household’s rent assessed having regard to their composition and individual income circumstances,” the local authority said.
“In considering proposals for additional supports specifically targeted at single-income working families, it is necessary to take account of practical and operational considerations.”
"The verification of household composition can already present challenges, and the introduction of further supports dependent on full and accurate disclosure could increase the risk of incorrect declarations or unintended misuse of the scheme.”
“Where tenants experience genuine difficulty in meeting their rent obligations, the council can consider hardship arrangements on a case-by-case basis.”
They added: “The matter raised will continue to be examined as part of the annual review of the Differential Rent Scheme, while ensuring that the council can continue to meet its responsibilities to manage, maintain and invest in its housing stock in a sustainable manner.”