Participants in the community employment development programme, CEDP, in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress area partnerships are allowed to retain any secondary benefits, to which they were automatically entitled when they were in receipt of a social welfare payment, in addition to their basic weekly allowance.
Secondary benefits may consist of the following: Christmas bonus; fuel allowance; beef and butter vouchers; medical cards; local authority differential rent; back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance; rent allowance and mortgage interest supplements under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
The supplementary welfare allowance scheme allows a health board to make an exceptional needs payment where, in the opinion of the board, exceptional circumstances exist which would warrant such a payment. These payments may arise in respect of communion and confirmation expenses; however, these are essentially once-off discretionary payments and are not regarded as secondary benefits for the purpose of the CEDP scheme.
It is understood from the Southern Health Board that the person in question was refused an exceptional needs payment in respect of communion expenses on the grounds of means. The person concerned has been advised of his right of appeal; however, I have been informed by the Southern Health Board that to date no appeal has been received.
