The Workplace Relations Commission awarded David Paul Smith €7,500 after finding that landlords Martin Shields and Hillary Shields discriminated against him by refusing to accept Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). The decision was dated 10 February 2022.
Smith said the landlords refused his HAP request when his tenancy began in October 2017 and again in July 2020, and did not complete or return his ES1 form. The respondents did not attend the hearing or make a written submission.
The adjudicator found Smith’s account credible and concluded the landlords refused HAP, which they were legally required to accept. The award took account of €5,687 in financial loss up to 7 September 2020, as well as the stress and utility-bill arrears he experienced.