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Differential Rent Scheme 2009
1. SCOPE OF SCHEME
This Scheme will apply uniformly to Castlebar Town Council
It will supersede all existing Differential and Graded Rent Schemes and will be subject to an annual review.
2. DIFFERENTIAL RENTS
(1) Rents on dwellings let on differential rent will be calculated, in accordance with Paragraph 3 below, as a proportion of the assessable income of the tenant and spouse or partner.
(2) Assessable income is income from the following sources, assessed in full, but reduced by pay-related social insurance contributions and any income tax payable on such income:-
(a) Income from employment including self-employment.
(b) All social insurance and social assistance payments, FÁS training allowances except payments listed at (v) beneath.
(c) Income from pensions of kinds not already included at (b) above.
(3) Income of employed person is, in general, the normal weekly rate of remuneration as defined in Section 1 of the Holidays (Employees) Act, 1973. All other regular payments in the nature of pay are included.
(4) Subsidiary earner is a member of the household, other than the tenant and spouse or partner who has an income.
(5) Income from the following sources is disregarded for the purposes of calculation of rents:-
(a) Children’s allowances, orphan’s allowances or orphan’s pensions payable under the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005.
(b) Scholarships.
(c) Allowance payable under the Boarding Out of Children Regulations, 1954.
(d) Allowances for domiciliary care of handicapped children under the Health Act, 1970.
(e) Lump sum compensation payments.
(f) Family Income Supplement payable under the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005.
(g) Early Childcare Supplement.
3. CALCULATION OF RENT
The rents of dwellings let on differential rent will be determined as follows:
(a) The assessable income of the tenant and spouse or partner is reduced by an allowance of €21.00 for every person resident full time in the house including each child of the tenant, up to the age of 21 years of age while in full time education.
(b) A rent of 20% of the assessable income reduced as calculated above shall be charged subject to the following:
(i) After the rent payable in respect of the tenant and spouse or partner has been determined, one tenth of the assessable income of each subsidiary earner should be added subject to a maximum contribution of €15.00 by each subsidiary earner.
(ii) In the case of elderly persons (living alone, or as a married couple) and single persons living alone who are in receipt of long term social welfare, rent will be calculated at the rate of 10.5% of total income.
(iii) The amount of rent calculated in this way should not exceed the maximum rent referred to in Paragraph 4 or be less than the minimum rent set out in Paragraph 5.
(c) Rounding up and down
Where the rents calculated in accordance with the preceeding paragraphs are not multiples of €0.10, they shall be rounded up or down to the nearest €0.10, amounts of €0.05 being round up.
4. MAXIMUM RENT
The weekly maximum rent of each category of Local Authority rented dwelling (both new and existing) will be as follows:
One and two bedroomed units €100.00
Three bedroomed units €150.00
Four or more bedroomed units €175.00
5. MINIMUM RENT
In determining rent a minimum weekly rent will apply as follows:
Three bedroomed units or over €15.00
Two bedroomed units €13.00
One Bedroomed units €13.00
6. HARDSHIP CASE
In exceptional circumstances where payment of a rent calculated under Paragraph 3 would, in the opinion of the Authority, give rise to hardship, a Housing Authority may agree to accept a lesser sum from a tenant for a specified period.
7. REVIEW OF INCOME
The tenant should notify the Local Authority immediately of any change in income or in family circumstances.