Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2015
190. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the maximum balance an applicant for an exceptional needs payment may have in savings in order that the person's application will be considered. [24959/15]
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 €27.9 million for the ENP scheme in 2015.
There is no automatic entitlement to a payment under the ENP scheme. The scheme is means tested and 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.
Any savings or other capital that an applicant may have will be taken into consideration by the officer administering the scheme when determining if the applicant has sufficient funds to meet the particular need to which the application refers to. There is no maximum balance of allowable savings provided for in the legislation or guidelines governing the ENP scheme. The guidelines state that where an applicant has capital resources s/he should normally be expected to provide for the need from that source.
Any persons who consider that they have an entitlement to an ENP under the SWA scheme should contact the Department.
