Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022
3. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the 30-hour rule on eligibility for the exceptional needs payment; the supports that are available for those who are struggling with the cost of living and who work over 30 hours a week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14851/22]
View answerThis question is about the 30-hour rule relating to the exceptional needs payment. The Government has encouraged people struggling with their energy costs at this time to go to their local community welfare officer and seek the exceptional needs payment, without saying those who work 30 hours or more per week cannot in fact access that payment. Will the Minister consider relaxing that rule on a temporary basis?
I thank the Deputy for raising this. To provide support for those facing challenges with the cost of living, the Government brought in a package of tax and social welfare measures worth over €1 billion last October in budget 2022. This was the largest social welfare package in 14 years. Last month, the Government agreed a further package of €505 million, including the €200 energy credit and a lump sum payment of €125 for those in receipt of the fuel allowance.
The supplementary welfare allowance is a demand-led scheme acting as a safety net within the overall social welfare system to help eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. The 30-hour rule regarding exceptional needs payments reflects the fact exceptional needs payments are primarily aimed at those who have limited income from employment. Those working at or above the 30-hour limit will have earnings above the basic supplementary welfare level of payment or may also be entitled to other in-work supports from my Department.
Where someone works above the 30-hour limit, the urgent needs payment is more appropriate, as it is not limited to those working less than full-time hours. As with the exceptional needs payment, urgent needs payments can be made on a flexible basis, taking into account all the relevant circumstances. Payments are made 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. I encourage any person who considers that he or she may have an entitlement to an exceptional or urgent needs payment to contact the community welfare service at his or her local Intreo centre. There is a national income support helpline in place. It is available at 0818-800024. This will direct callers to the appropriate office.
I thank the Minister. She will know the social welfare increases in the budget last year, which are mentioned quite often, followed two years without any increase and she also knows every working age payment is currently set below the poverty line, and very well below it too.
On the exceptional needs payment, I ask that if the urgent needs payment does not have that 30-hour limitation, which is welcome, that it be promoted far more than it is and has been. Under exceptional needs, which is the one most people are directed to, as soon as you look at it, it says assistance with fuel costs very clearly and that is welcome but it is the one with the 30-hour limit, which is problematic. We know there are workers out there who cannot access the fuel allowance, the exceptional needs payment or any supports at all. As Government supports have not to date included anything on home heating in particular, they are not getting any support with heating their homes and that is the problem. I therefore ask that the Department promote the urgent needs payment to a far greater level if that is the case.
I thank the Deputy. We have been promoting both the exceptional needs payment and the urgent needs payment as part of the supplementary welfare allowance on our social media. I have asked my officials to ensure people are aware of that. The one thing we do not want it is for people to be in difficulty and not realise they can access these payments. The Department of the Social Protection is here to help, not to put barriers in people's way. One only has to look at what was done during the pandemic and how we are responding to the Ukrainian crisis. Helping people is exactly what we want to do.
On energy costs, the Government absolutely recognises the impact rising energy prices are having for people. That is why we have acted to try to assist families. We have brought forward a series of measures that cost over €1 billion to help ease the burden on people. We increased the fuel allowance payment to €33 per week. That was effective from budget night. Last week we issued a €125 top-up payment to all those in receipt of the fuel allowance. When this is coupled with the €5 per week increase in the fuel allowance that commenced last October, it represents a 41% increase in fuel allowance supports over last year. When you add in the €200 electricity credit, that brings it up to a 60% increase over this time last year.
The issue with most of that is of course the fact the fuel allowance is very limited and an awful lot of people out there who are struggling cannot access the fuel allowance in the first instance. Going back, this is important because many people out there cannot get the fuel allowance, especially workers, and they are looking for support. The urgent needs payment is at the moment listed as an emergency payment and on the Citizens Information website, which most people use, it is stated that "in the case of a fire, flood or other disaster, you may get a payment".
Will the Minister clarify whether people can access help with their energy costs through the urgent needs payment, which does not have the 30-hour limitation? The exceptional needs payment specifically lists help with energy costs whereas the urgent needs payment does not. If it is the case that the urgent needs payment is the avenue to be taken, then that needs to be promoted.
I wish to discuss a matter that I have raised with the Minister previously. Given the amount of data her Department collects, I cannot understand why it does not collect data on the number of people seeking helping through the exceptional and urgent needs payments and, therefore, how many people are being refused. Those data are important and should be gathered.
Given that we have the exceptional needs payment as well as the urgent needs payment, we should be calling this just the needs payment. It does not matter how much someone works - if he or she has an urgent need, he or she can approach a community welfare officer and ask for assistance. The rule on 30 hours working is not stopping people from getting support. There are two strands - essential needs and urgent needs. The rule is not depriving people of support. The urgent needs payment has no cap. It is demand led and we have spent €42 million on it per annum in recent years. If more is needed, we will provide it. In recent weeks, we announced a package of support measures worth €1 billion to assist with energy costs.
The Deputy will agree, given that I am sure it is also her experience of dealing with community welfare officers, that if someone has a genuine need, officers look at matters in a sensible and practical way. We have told them to apply discretion. They have that discretion. I do not want to see a situation in this country where someone is in dire straits and needs help but does not get it. People will get it, and we are here to give them that help.
