Housing Assistance Payment

The Housing Assistance Payment is a form of housing support provided by your local authority.

Local authorities make a monthly rental payment to your landlord.

You pay a weekly contribution towards the rent to the local authority.

The Housing Assistance Payment allows you to work full-time, while still receiving housing support.

You must be approved for social housing support by your local authority.

If you are already on your local authority’s housing list, you will be eligible for Housing Assistance Payment.

Rent Supplement recipients who qualify for social housing support will be transferred from Rent Supplement to Housing Assistance Payment.

Your local authority can check if you qualify for social housing support and Housing Assistance Payment.

Contact your local authority.

The rent contribution is based on your household’s income. It is calculated in the same way as the rent paid by a tenant of a local authority owned property.

Your local authority will make a monthly payment directly to your landlord, on the last Wednesday of each month.

Limits for Housing Assistance Payments are based on the number of people in a household and the rental market in the locality.

Local authorities have limited flexibility to go above rent limits in some cases.

You can get further information on the limits that apply to your household from your local authority.

Your landlord and tenancy

Your local authority can make a Housing Assistance Payment when they receive a valid application form from you and your landlord. If you move into a property before this, you will have to pay any rent due yourself.

The payment is subject to terms and conditions including rent limits.

The local authority is not your landlord. Your landlord is the person you make the rental agreement with.

You must pay your rent contribution to your local authority or Housing Assistance Payments to your landlord may be suspended and ultimately stopped.

You can find further information about your rights and responsibilities as a tenant on the Residential Tenancies Board website.

Finding your accommodation

You must find a private rental property that is within Housing Assistance Payment rent limits. Your local authority will let you know what the rent limits are.

If the monthly rent agreed with your landlord is more than the rent limit for the locality, you must pay the difference directly to your landlord.

Your local authority will inspect your accommodation within eight months of the first Housing Assistance Payment to make sure that your accommodation meets the rental housing standards.

If you find accommodation in another local authority area, you can contact the Housing Assistance Payment section of your current local authority for advice.

If you are a new applicant for social housing support, you first need to fill out a Social Housing Support application form, which is available from your local authority.

You then need to send your completed form to your local authority along with all of the documents needed to assess your case.

You will get a list of these documents on your local authority’s social housing support application form.

If you are approved for social housing support, or if you are already on your local authority’s housing list, you can then apply online for the Housing Assistance Payment. If you are unable to apply online, you can ask your local authority for a Housing Assistance Payment application form.

Only apply for the Housing Assistance Payment after you have found accommodation. The landlord must agree to rent their property to the Housing Assistance Payment tenant.

If you are getting Rent Supplement and qualify for social housing support, you can apply for the Housing Assistance Payment for your current accommodation. Your landlord must agree to the Housing Assistance Payment scheme.

After agreeing a tenancy with your landlord, you need to apply online as soon as possible. Your landlord will also have to complete an online form.

You must sign up at your local authority Housing Assistance Payment office.

Your weekly Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) rent contribution can be deducted through:

• An Post (Household Budget deduction)
• Bank standing order (please use the below form)

Before paying via an alternative payment method, please ensure your weekly HAP rent has not been automatically deducted from your bank or post office.

If your weekly HAP rent fails to be automatically deducted, please use one of the following methods to pay:

• Download the HAP app to make a payment, view your account and download a statement (HAP recipient ID and password required).
• Online using the Housing Assistance Payments portal (you will need your HAP recipient ID and password).
• Phone 061-556600 (you will need your HAP recipient ID and password).
• Use the HAP Bill Pay Card (issued within 10 days of start day) in any post office or in any shop displaying the PostPoint sign to pay your weekly rent.

Your local PostPoint shop can be located on www.anpost.com/store-locator .

The Housing Assistance Payments portal has moved to a new web payment system.

You will be required to register your email and create a password.

When using the portal to pay online, you will use your Housing Assistance Payment recipient/customer ID and the password you created.

Please note you can generate and download your own Housing Assistance Payment statement of account online using the Housing Assistance Payments portal. You can also use the portal to clear arrears or pay your weekly HAP rent online, if needed.