Rules cause havoc for poor after rent help

NEW Government rules governing eligibility for rent allowances is causing havoc for the poor and vulnerable, according to a nationwide survey.

The report, commissioned on behalf of CentreCare, a project of Crosscare, and the City Centre Dublin Citizens Information Service, shows stricter conditions for getting rent supplements could increase homelessness throughout the country, despite Government efforts to deal with the scourge.

In particular, the report points to the suffering generated by the new six-month rule, in operation since January, under which applicants must prove a six-month history of renting before being eligible for rent allowance.