Rent supplement claims here have surged by 15% since the Covid-19 lockdown came into effect, according to new figures released to Sinn Fein on Wednesday.
The party’s housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin received new data after he submitted a parliamentary question on the scheme.
He said: “Figures obtained from the Department of Social Protection indicate that there has been a 15% increase in the number of people submitting rent supplement claims since the Covid-19 restrictions were introduced in March.
“The data shows that as of April 18 there were 17,264 households in receipt of rent supplement payments - an increase of nearly 2,500 households since March 14.
“This rise in the number of claimants is worrying but not surprising given that research from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) shows that almost 40% of those working in the accommodation and food sector - which has been most affected by unemployment due to the pandemic - are renters.”
Deputy Ó Broin has insisted not enough has been done by the government to promote the means-tested payment for renters who cannot cover their own costs.
