Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 March 2014
243. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures she intends to introduce to realise the €2.1 million spending cut in exceptional needs payments announced in Budget 2014. [11741/14]
View answerUnder the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €31.3 million for the scheme in 2014. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. ENPs are payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance. Reductions announced as part of Budget 2014 will be achieved by on-going review of recommended payment rates under the ENP scheme to ensure consistency with regard to payment levels on a national basis.
