Humanitarian Assistance Scheme

If your home has been affected by a severe weather event such as flooding, the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme can provide emergency financial help.

There are 3 parts to the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme:

Stage 1 (Immediate need): Emergency support payment to help pay for food, clothing, personal items and alternative accommodation if you need it.

Stage 1 is not means-tested.

Stage 2 (Damage to essential items and contents): Replacing white goods (fridge, freezer), flooring, basic furniture  and other essential household items.

Stage 3 (Longer-term financial support for structural damage to your home): including plastering, dry lining, relaying of floors, electrical re-wiring and painting.

Stage 2 and Stage 3 are means-tested.

The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme helps you meet the cost of essential needs and repairs rather than provide full compensation for losses or damage. The Scheme is administered by the Community Welfare Service.

The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme does not cover:

• Losses covered by an insurance policy
• Loss of items considered not essential, or luxury items
• Commercial and business losses
• Loss or damage to private rented accommodation or local authority accommodation

• Stage 1 emergency payments are available to all homeowners. These payments are not means-tested.
• Stage 2 and Stage 3 financial support is means-tested.

To qualify for Stage 2 and Stage 3 financial support, your household’s income is assessed to decide whether your household can meet the cost, or some of the cost, of restoring your home to a habitable condition.

All household income is considered in the income test. You do not have to be getting a social welfare payment to qualify.

How does the income test work?

When you apply, you need to provide personal and financial details for each person who lives in your home and explain their relationship to you.

If you are single

If you have a gross household income of €50,000 or less, you will get 100% of the amount allowable.

For each whole €1,000 of household income above €50,000, you will be required to make a 1% contribution to the amount allowable.

For example, if you are:

• Single, and
• Have a gross household income of €55,000

You get 95% of the amount allowable (€5,000 over the income limit of €50,000 = 5% personal contribution towards the loss).

If you are in a couple

If you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting and have a combined gross household income of €90,000 or less, you will get 100% of the amount allowable.

For each whole €1,000 of household income above €90,000, you will be required to make a 1% contribution to the amount allowable.

For example, if you are:

• Married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, and
• Have a combined gross household income of €105,000

You get 85% of the amount allowable (€15,000 over the income limit of €90,000 = 15% personal contribution to the loss).

Increases for qualified children

The income limits are increased by €15,000 for each qualified child.

One-parent household

The income limit for one-parent households is €90,000 plus €15,000 for each qualified child.

Non-dependent adult household members

For each non-dependent adult member of the household, 20% of their gross income is added to the household income.

For example, a household with a couple with a gross income of €85,000, and non-dependent adult with an income of €20,000 get 100% of the amount allowable as the total household income is less than €90,000 (€85,000 + €4,000 [€20,000 x 20%] = €89,000).

If you have no insurance

If you had no insurance and you do not have reasonable grounds for not having insurance:

• You will be expected to contribute the first €2,000 toward the amount allowable, and
• Your personal contribution will be 2% for each whole €1,000 above the appropriate income level for your household

If your income is above the income limits

Reduced or tapered levels of support may be provided in cases where your household income is above the limits.

How much is paid under the scheme depends on how severe the damage is and your ability to pay for the cost of repairs.

If the cost of structural repairs is estimated to be more than €5,000, the Department of Social Protection will appoint and get advice from a loss adjudicator.

In assessing cases for humanitarian assistance, Additional Needs Payments already paid out will be taken into account.

For Stage 1 payments, you should complete the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme application form (HAS1) (pdf).

For Stage 2 and Stage 3 payments, you should complete the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme application form (HAS2) (pdf). Applications for assistance with structural repair should be made by the registered owner of the property.

You can also get the form from your local Community Welfare Service or from your local Intreo centre or branch office.

You must include the following with your application, where available:

• Evidence of household income (pay slips, etc)
• Estimates for repairs or replacement
• Two itemised quotations for cost of structural repairs (registered building contractor, trades person etc)
• A copy of your insurance policy
• Paid invoices or receipts
• Any other information which may support your claim

Send your completed application form to the Community Welfare Officer at your local Community Welfare Service.

You can read more about the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme on gov.ie.

You can get more information about the scheme at your local Community Welfare Service, or call 0818 607080.

The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme is usually only available to help people who have been impacted by a severe weather event, but the Department of Social Protection can extend it to cover other exceptional circumstances at its discretion.