Ombudsman Ger Deering has today, [Thursday 5 June,] published a report of his investigation into the Housing Assistance Payment scheme (HAP). The Ombudsman acknowledged that the scheme works well for many people. However, his investigation found inconsistencies in how the scheme is operated by local authorities, delays in some applications being processed, and inequities between how HAP tenants and social housing tenants are treated.

The Ombudsman’s report contains a number of recommendations to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage aimed at addressing the issues he found with the administration of the scheme. The Ombudsman said that he will now follow up with the Department on the recommendations and will seek progress updates on their implementation.

HAP is a payment made directly to a landlord on behalf of a household that is deemed in need of social housing support. The maximum HAP that can be paid (‘the HAP cap’) varies depending on the size of the household and the local authority area involved. Local authorities have discretion to increase the payment by up to 35% in certain circumstances. However, due to rising rent costs, for many people, HAP no longer covers the cost of renting, and most households in the scheme must pay the landlord the difference between the HAP cap and the actual cost of renting, in addition to paying rent to the local authority.

The Ombudsman Ger Deering said:

“HAP provides vital support for people to access private rented accommodation. However, some people are being disadvantaged by the current system. The recommendations in my report are designed to bring positive changes to the lives of those who are seeking homes for themselves and their families, and will help ensure the administration of the HAP scheme is more customer focused.”

The Ombudsman’s report identified a number of issues with the scheme including:

• A significant amount of duplication between the application process for social housing support and the application process for HAP. Much of the same documentation is needed to apply for both. In addition, a separate application must be made for each scheme despite the fact that approval for social housing support automatically entitles a household to HAP.
• Due to delays in processing some applications for HAP, there can be a significant difference between the date the application is made, and the date the application is validated and payment starts. In the meantime, the applicant may have lost out on the property due to the delay. The Ombudsman said that where an applicant has been approved for social housing support they should be entitled to payment from the date their tenancy starts.
• The Ombudsman found that applicants are not always given clear information about the different aspects of the HAP scheme including the amount of rent that the tenant will pay and the discretionary increase that may be available.

A Summary of the Ombudsman’s report including his findings and recommendations is available here. The full report with detailed background information is also available on the Ombudsman’s website.

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