Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 October 2011
251 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the outstanding documentation that must be submitted to her in order to resume payment of basic supplementary welfare allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28426/11]
View answerApart from a number of excluded categories, anyone in the State who satisfies a habitual residency condition and a means test, has registered for employment, unless they have a physical or mental disability, and can prove unemployment, may qualify for a weekly payment of supplementary welfare allowance (SWA). Additionally, if an individual has made an appeal where a primary payment has been refused, they may also receive a payment of SWA, subject to satisfying the qualifying criteria for the scheme.
Following the refusal of a primary payment from the Department, SWA was paid to the person concerned on an interim basis pending the provision of a copy of the relevant appeals documentation. However as the person concerned did not provide a copy of the relevant documents the payment of SWA was temporarily suspended. The person concerned has now furnished the relevant appeals documentation and the payment of SWA has been restored.
252 Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding financial support in respect of a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28445/11]
View answerThe community welfare service (CWS), and the community welfare officers providing it, transferred formally to the Department of Social Protection (DSP) from 1 October 2011. The service and the staff are now part of the DSP. Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme a single payment may be made to meet an exceptional need to people on social welfare or HSE payments.
The principal consideration in making a single payment of SWA to address a particular need is that the need to be met must be exceptional. Payments should arise only under abnormal conditions and should not become a regular or standard practice. Thus, an exceptional needs payment (ENP) should be a single payment to meet an unforeseen and/or special need which cannot be met from a client's basic income. There is no application for an ENP from the person concerned. The person concerned should contact his local DSP office administering supplementary welfare allowance if he wishes to be considered for an ENP.
