Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 May 2022
271. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the breakdown of exceptional needs payments under the supplementary welfare allowance paid in each month ; the total and individual value of each payment; and the total expenditure by category and month from January 2021 to May 2022, inclusive in tabular form. [26987/22]
View answerUnder the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department can 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. An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for supplementary welfare allowance but who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources or where an alternative is not available at that time.
The schemes are demand led and 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.
While it is not possible to show the payment value for each individual ENP and UNP paid for the months in question, tables 1 and 2 show the breakdown by category of the number and total expenditure of ENPs and UNPs paid in each of the months for January 2021 to end of April 2022. Figures for May 2022 are not available as of yet.
Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an exceptional or urgent needs payment is encouraged to contact their local Intreo Centre. There is a National Intreo Contact Centre in place - 0818-405060 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
