Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, Community Welfare Officers in my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.
Where a tenant cannot furnish the property from within his/her own resources, s/he can apply for an exceptional needs payment to assist them in furnishing the property. The level of furnishings and appliances required will depend on an assessment of size and nature of the proposed property, the expected level of occupancy and items already available to the customer. Every case is based on the individual circumstances/needs of the household.
Table 1 shows the number of payments and expenditure on ENPs for new accommodation kit-outs, per county for 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Table 2 shows the number of individual recipients and the average payment on ENPs for new accommodation kit-outs, per county for 2018, 2019 and 2020.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Table 1 - Number of Payments and Expenditure on ENPs for new accommodation kit outs 2018-2020, per county.
-
|
2018
|
|
2019
|
|
2020
|
-
|
County
|
Number of Payments
|
Expenditure €
|
Number of Payments
|
Expenditure €
|
Number of Payments
|
Expenditure €
|
CARLOW
|
104
|
255,504
|
249
|
759,099
|
186
|
536,673
|
CAVAN
|
60
|
74,470
|
113
|
102,662
|
110
|
125,134
|
CLARE
|
126
|
196,009
|
157
|
372,710
|
190
|
468,693
|
CORK
|
599
|
1,233,825
|
749
|
2,024,464
|
1,003
|
2,789,515
|
DONEGAL
|
257
|
571,048
|
258
|
650,844
|
243
|
659,224
|
DUBLIN
|
3,214
|
2,932,281
|
4,101
|
5,235,683
|
3,411
|
3,755,670
|
GALWAY
|
194
|
508,082
|
268
|
801,874
|
297
|
833,330
|
KERRY
|
180
|
398,551
|
208
|
545,351
|
323
|
934,097
|
KILDARE
|
264
|
303,530
|
180
|
298,416
|
301
|
386,151
|
KILKENNY
|
213
|
325,181
|
242
|
441,037
|
212
|
469,786
|
LAOIS
|
192
|
400,805
|
136
|
298,875
|
242
|
533,657
|
LEITRIM
|
72
|
125,579
|
86
|
227,722
|
51
|
122,784
|
LIMERICK
|
494
|
321,740
|
262
|
199,702
|
322
|
257,198
|
LONGFORD
|
148
|
180,708
|
298
|
420,141
|
234
|
357,840
|
LOUTH
|
229
|
317,266
|
210
|
347,242
|
362
|
614,816
|
MAYO
|
196
|
230,248
|
167
|
233,233
|
213
|
322,147
|
MEATH
|
446
|
384,283
|
484
|
640,948
|
440
|
641,526
|
MONAGHAN
|
83
|
96,035
|
178
|
238,881
|
180
|
172,223
|
OFFALY
|
96
|
179,028
|
119
|
293,826
|
103
|
251,078
|
ROSCOMMON
|
297
|
390,936
|
163
|
315,756
|
93
|
215,805
|
SLIGO
|
116
|
138,322
|
143
|
200,243
|
119
|
165,458
|
TIPPERARY
|
216
|
443,103
|
250
|
538,610
|
298
|
815,373
|
WATERFORD
|
267
|
505,989
|
404
|
1,157,232
|
289
|
864,855
|
WESTMEATH
|
140
|
148,516
|
207
|
223,167
|
173
|
327,658
|
WEXFORD
|
249
|
441,831
|
304
|
729,352
|
227
|
631,380
|
WICKLOW
|
173
|
172,723
|
491
|
898,782
|
272
|
463,660
|
Grand Total
|
8,625
|
11,275,591
|
10,427
|
18,195,851
|
9,894
|
17,715,730
|
Table 2 - Number of individual recipients and average payment on ENPs for new accommodation kit outs 2018-2020, per county.
-
|
2018
|
|
2019
|
|
2020
|
-
|
-
|
Recipients
|
Average Payment €
|
Recipients
|
Average Payment €
|
Recipients
|
Average Payment €
|
CARLOW
|
102
|
2,505
|
238
|
3,189
|
180
|
2,982
|
CAVAN
|
48
|
1,551
|
75
|
1,369
|
64
|
1,955
|
CLARE
|
107
|
1,832
|
134
|
2,781
|
169
|
2,773
|
CORK
|
545
|
2,264
|
701
|
2,888
|
966
|
2,888
|
DONEGAL
|
253
|
2,257
|
257
|
2,532
|
240
|
2,747
|
DUBLIN
|
1,924
|
1,524
|
2,667
|
1,963
|
2,374
|
1,582
|
GALWAY
|
184
|
2,761
|
259
|
3,096
|
281
|
2,966
|
KERRY
|
172
|
2,317
|
198
|
2,754
|
309
|
3,023
|
KILDARE
|
155
|
1,958
|
130
|
2,296
|
161
|
2,398
|
KILKENNY
|
142
|
2,290
|
210
|
2,100
|
205
|
2,292
|
LAOIS
|
167
|
2,400
|
110
|
2,717
|
184
|
2,900
|
LEITRIM
|
63
|
1,993
|
80
|
2,847
|
50
|
2,456
|
LIMERICK
|
239
|
1,346
|
153
|
1,305
|
183
|
1,405
|
LONGFORD
|
78
|
2,317
|
141
|
2,980
|
139
|
2,574
|
LOUTH
|
186
|
1,706
|
167
|
2,079
|
296
|
2,077
|
MAYO
|
103
|
2,235
|
98
|
2,380
|
127
|
2,537
|
MEATH
|
229
|
1,678
|
298
|
2,151
|
306
|
2,096
|
MONAGHAN
|
67
|
1,433
|
109
|
2,192
|
113
|
1,524
|
OFFALY
|
81
|
2,210
|
100
|
2,938
|
88
|
2,853
|
ROSCOMMON
|
134
|
2,917
|
102
|
3,096
|
86
|
2,509
|
SLIGO
|
102
|
1,356
|
119
|
1,683
|
107
|
1,546
|
TIPPERARY
|
206
|
2,151
|
211
|
2,553
|
286
|
2,851
|
WATERFORD
|
220
|
2,300
|
374
|
3,094
|
276
|
3,134
|
WESTMEATH
|
70
|
2,122
|
100
|
2,232
|
119
|
2,753
|
WEXFORD
|
226
|
1,955
|
287
|
2,541
|
220
|
2,870
|
WICKLOW
|
104
|
1,661
|
300
|
2,996
|
217
|
2,137
|
Grand Total
|
5,907
|
|
7,618
|
|
7,746
|
|
Note: These figures are taken from the Department's ENP database and represent a snapshot of ENPs as they are approved by an officer rather than when they are paid. The figures do not capture payments that are cancelled, payments that go out of date or overpayments recouped.
I trust that this clarifies the position.