The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) found that landlord Ruth Murphy discriminated against tenant Bernadine Gavin by failing to facilitate her Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) application. It ordered Murphy to pay €7,000 compensation.
The decision, dated 26 January 2024, concerned Gavin’s claim that Murphy would not complete the landlord section of her application, despite repeated requests. Murphy denied refusing to sign and said she was not in a position to do so, citing concerns about the scheme and a possible sale of the property.
The WRC found that Murphy had not rebutted the evidence of discrimination on the housing assistance ground. It was not persuaded that she could not sign the form and found she was not disposed to facilitating the application. Gavin said she would have received €408.70 a month in HAP and faced €290 more in monthly rent after moving to alternative accommodation. A separate complaint, CA-00051775-001, was withdrawn at the hearing.