Accommodation Recognition Payment Scheme: Your questions answered

What the scheme is and what it does

The Accommodation Recognition Payment * is a tax-free monthly payment of €800 per accommodation (vacant or shared) in which beneficiary/beneficiaries of temporary protection reside.

(*also referred to under the legislative title of the Financial Contribution for Hosting Temporary Protection Beneficiaries Scheme.)

People fleeing the conflict in Ukraine are entitled under an EU Directive to temporary protection, initially for one year and on a renewable basis.

The Accommodation Recognition Payment is:

• a recognition for providing accommodation to beneficiaries
• a recognition that the accommodation is being offered for at least 6 months

Payment is disregarded for means-tested grants/payments.

The scheme sets accommodation standards and the applicant is required to make a declaration on those standards as part of the application process. If such a declaration isn’t made the application will fail.

What the scheme is not and what it doesn’t do

• it is not intended to cover all costs incurred by the host
• it does not create any obligation for the beneficiaries in the accommodation, such as payment of rent or provision of services, however, the beneficiaries may agree to contribute towards the cost of utilities
• it does not create a landlord and tenant relationship between the accommodation host who has qualified for the financial contribution and the Ukrainians living in the accommodation
• it does not give beneficiaries of temporary protection in accommodation an automatic right to tenancy

Who is eligible to receive ARP

You may get this payment if:

• you are aged 18 or over
• you are providing (or have provided) accommodation to at least one person who has arrived in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive
• the accommodation meets required standards. You are required to confirm this as part of your application
• your property is in the Republic of Ireland
• there is at least 1 person being hosted on the last day of the calendar month for which payment is due
• you are the owner of or a tenant in the accommodation being provided to the Temporary Protection Beneficiary(s) and you have the consent of any other owners or tenants

How much ARP is

With effect from 1 December 2022, ARP is a monthly payment of €800 per property. It is paid in recognition of the contribution of those providing accommodation to a temporary protection beneficiary. The payment is made in arrears.

How you can apply for the ARP scheme

The quickest way to apply for this payment is online through the MyWelfare website.

Information required for an ARP application

You will need to supply the following information:

When you can apply

The ARP scheme is open for applications from 26 July 2022. ARP can be back dated to 4 March 2022 where accommodation has been provided since that date to a temporary protection beneficiary.

How ARP will be paid

ARP will be paid by electronic fund transfer (EFT) to the bank account that has been nominated on the application. Payments can be made to an Irish, UK, SEPA, N26 or Revolut bank account.

When ARP will be paid

ARP will be paid on the second Tuesday of each month, and includes any arrears that are due.

Getting ARP if you can only host a person for 3 months

When you apply for the Accommodation Recognition Payment you commit to host a temporary protection beneficiary for at least 6 months. In the absence of that commitment you cannot apply for the recognition payment.

When the ARP scheme will end

The scheme is due to end on 31 March 2026; however, it may be extended by Order of the Minister for Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in accordance with the governing legislation.

What your details will be used for if your host is applying for ARP and needs your details to make the application

The host may only use your details for the purposes of applying for ARP and cannot use them for any other purpose. The Department of Social Protection will use your details to validate the ARP claim. This may include checking that you have Temporary Protection status with the Department of Justice.

Whether you have to wait 6 months before you can apply for the recognition payment

You may make an online application to the Department of Social Protection for the payment where you have accommodated a person covered by the Temporary Protection Directive. The payment is conditional upon a commitment to provide the accommodation for a period of 6 months. If applicable payments may be dated back to 4 March 2022.

Whether you have to repay any money if you commit to 6 months and have to back out

If you are unable to meet the 6 month commitment you made, you will not be required to repay any money paid to you in respect of the period that a beneficiary lived in your accommodation.

Where the circumstances of a host in receipt of a payment change, the host is required to notify the Department of Social Protection of the change in circumstances as soon as possible.

Where a person is not entitled to the financial contribution, any such contribution may be recoverable by the Department of Social Protection.

Whether you have to repay any money if the person covered by the Temporary Protection Directive you are accommodating finds their own accommodation and moves out before the 6 months’ commitment period

If the person covered by the Temporary Protection Directive leaves the accommodation before the 6 month commitment period you made, you will not be required to repay any money paid to you in respect of the period that a beneficiary lived in your accommodation.

Where the circumstances of a host in receipt of a payment change, the host is required to notify the Department of Social Protection of the change in circumstances as soon as reasonably practicable.

Where a person is not entitled to the financial contribution, any such contribution may be recoverable by the Department of Social Protection.

How to repay an overpayment to the Department of Social Protection

The Department of Social Protection (DSP) is administering ARP on behalf of Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Any overpayments will be managed by DSP. If you have received a payment that you are not entitled to, you should contact the Department of Social Protection at ARP@welfare.ie or at 0818 708090. The department will advise you on the next steps.

Whether Garda Vetting is required to avail of the scheme

No, Garda vetting is not a requirement to avail of the accommodation recognition payment.

Who to contact if you have any questions

The scheme is being administered by the Department of Social Protection on behalf of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Issues in relation to the processing of applications are dealt with by the Department of Social Protection.

If you have a query on your own ARP claim the department can be contacted by phone at 0818 70 80 90 from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) or by email at ARP@welfare.ie

Other issues relating to the scheme should be directed to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth by emailing the department at ukrainerecognitionpayment@equality.gov.ie or by phoning +353 1 647 3000.

Whether payments made under the ARP scheme are taxable

Payments made under the ARP Scheme are exempt from income tax, USC and PRSI.

Whether payments made under the ARP scheme are assessable as means for Social Welfare purposes

Payments made under the ARP Scheme are not assessable as means for Social Welfare purposes and will also be disregarded for the purposes of means-testing in respect of benefits granted by other public bodies.

Applying for ARP if you are the tenant in your property

You can apply, where you have the consent of the owners and or other tenants to host a temporary protection beneficiary.

Applying for ARP if you are the owner of a property

You can apply for ARP if you are hosting a temporary protection beneficiary in your own home or you are providing accommodation in a vacant property. You must have the consent of any other owners and or tenants in the property.

Whether you need to give your permission if you are a tenant in a property and your landlord wants to allow a person covered under the Temporary Protection Directive stay in your home and claim the ARP

The landlord of the property must have the consent of all the tenants of the property to host a temporary protection beneficiary and subsequently claim ARP.

Required standards that a property must meet

Details of the standards are available online. If you have a particular query on standards, please contact the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth by emailing the department at ukrainerecognitionpayment@equality.gov.ie or phoning them at +353 1 647 3000.

Whether the property will be inspected to ensure that the required standards are met

The guidance on the required standards is available on gov.ie in the form of a checklist. As part of the application process, a person is required to confirm as part of the application declaration that the accommodation meets the required standard.

Applying for ARP if you don’t have an Eircode

Without a valid Eircode an ARP claim cannot be processed.

Eligibility for ARP if you have a holiday home in Northern Ireland where a person covered by the EU Temporary Protection Directive is living

Only properties that are in the Republic of Ireland are eligible properties for the ARP scheme.

Claiming ARP if you have rented a property to a person covered under the EU Temporary Protection Directive

Where a rental agreement is in place, ARP is not payable.

Compensation if the person covered under the Temporary Protection Directive causes damage to your property

There is no provision for such compensation. This is a matter between you and the beneficiary.

Standard that is being applied to accommodation for person covered under the temporary protection directive

The standard being applied to accommodation is one that has been recommended by the Department of Housing for use by local authorities for the inspection of properties pledged through the Irish Red Cross. Applicants for the ARP scheme will be required to declare that the accommodation, whether pledged or otherwise, meets those standards.

Why a standard other than the RTB standard is being applied

The standard being applied ensures that the accommodation is habitable and that health and safety standards are appropriate while taking into account that the relationship between the host and beneficiary is not that of landlord and tenant.

The €800 is a recognition of the valued contribution being made by hosts in response to the Ukraine humanitarian crisis. The rate is not related to any specific additional costs incurred by hosts or aligned with market rent. The RTB standard was regarded as being too onerous in the circumstances.

Checking if your accommodation complies with the required standard

The guidance on the required standard is available on gov.ie in the form of a checklist.

Applying for the payment if you want to offer accommodation but you are not the full owner

The payment will be made to the person making the online application.

The online application form will require the person applying, where they are a tenant in the accommodation, to declare they have obtained the consent of the other tenants and the landlord of the property.

The online application form will require the person applying, where they are the owner of the accommodation, to declare they have obtained the consent of any other owner and the tenants of the property.

Whether your landlord is entitled to the money if you are offering a room in the accommodation you are renting

The payment will be made to the person making the online application.

The online application form will require the person applying, where they are a tenant in the accommodation, to declare they have obtained the consent of the other tenants and the landlord of the property.

The online application form will require the person applying, where they are the owner of the accommodation, to declare they have obtained the consent of any other owner and the tenants of the property.

Where the temporary protection beneficiary is a tenant in the property, ARP is not payable.

Whether there are any supports being offered to assist a person who wants to provide accommodation to a Ukrainian national to get their accommodation up to the required standard

No, it is a matter for the individual to ensure the accommodation meets the required standard.

Applying for the payment if you are a commercial accommodation provider accommodating Ukrainian nationals

The Scheme was set up to recognise the contribution of people who have offered up accommodation, whether in its entirety or a room, at their own expense. A person providing accommodation to temporary protection beneficiaries on a commercial basis is ineligible to participate in the scheme.

What a person should do if they are living in accommodation that has qualified for a recognition payment but they believe that the accommodation is not of an acceptable standard

One of the eligibility requirements of the financial contribution scheme is that the accommodation meets the required standards – and the applicant confirms this when applying. Those standards are the subject of regulations and are intended to ensure that accommodation qualifying for a financial contribution is safe and habitable.

Vacant accommodation pledged through the Irish Red Cross has already been inspected by the local authorities and deemed as suitable or not to be occupied.

Why the financial contribution is limited to accommodating Ukrainian nationals

The financial contribution is directly linked to Ireland’s response to the Ukraine humanitarian crisis in the context of the Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC) which was activated by Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022.

Changing the bank account your ARP payment is being paid into

To change the payment method on your ARP claim you must complete a Direct Payment to an Account in a Financial Institution (DIR PMT1) form.

If you would prefer to order an application form by post, you can do so using our online form.

Completed forms can be sent to:

When you must close your ARP claim

You must close your ARP claim when you are no longer hosting a temporary protection beneficiary.

How you can close your ARP claim

You can contact us by phone, email or post to let us know that you want to close your ARP claim:

• phone number: 0818 70 80 90
• email address: ARP@welfare.ie

Postal address:

How you can let us know that a temporary protection beneficiary has left your host property

You can contact us by phone, email or post to let us know that you want to update your ARP claim. You must notify us if a temporary protection beneficiary has left your property, even if other qualified persons remain in the property.

Why the payment is capped at €800

The payment of €800 is a recognition of the valued contribution being made by hosts in response to the Ukraine humanitarian crisis. The rate is not related to any specific additional costs incurred by hosts.

If it's costing you more than €800 per month to host people covered under the EU Temporary Protection Directive

The €800 payment is not linked to the actual costs incurred by the person providing accommodation to the temporary protection beneficiary but rather it recognises the valued contribution of those who host beneficiaries of temporary protection.

If you are experiencing financial difficulty, you may be able to avail of the Additional Needs Payment. An Additional Needs Payment is a payment available to you if you have expenses that you cannot pay from your weekly income. You may get this payment even if you are not getting a social welfare payment. It also may be available to you if you are working and on a low income.

Whether there are any supports in relation to the cost of accommodating a person covered under the EU Temporary Protection Directive

The legislation does not provide for any other supports in relation to the cost of accommodating a person covered under the EU Temporary Protection Directive. You may, however, agree with beneficiaries in your accommodation to have certain costs such as utilities covered by the them.

If you are accommodating more than 1 person covered by the EU Temporary Protection Directive in your home

Payment is in respect of the accommodation being provided to beneficiaries of temporary protection and not the number of beneficiaries in the accommodation. The property’s Eircode will be required as part of the application process.

If you are accommodating people covered by the EU Temporary Protection Directive in 2 different properties

Applications may be made in respect of eligible accommodation so if a host is accommodating persons covered by the EU Temporary Protection Directive in two different properties, the host may apply for a financial contribution in respect of each property. Each property’s Eircode will be required as part of the application process.

If the person covered by the EU Temporary Protection Directive agrees to pay towards the cost of utilities and other bills

Entitlement to the payment is not affected by any agreement between the host and beneficiaries regarding a contribution towards the costs of utilities.

Whether payments are affected by financial contributions that beneficiaries are making to the household

The financial contribution was not set at market rental rates. Agreements on contributions towards household costs are matters for the parties.

• Also referred to under the legislative title of the Financial Contribution for Hosting Temporary Protection Beneficiaries Scheme.