Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2022
629. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to increase the total house income criteria for additional needs payment applications due to the rising cost-of-living; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37736/22]
View answer630. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of additional needs payments that have been received throughout 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; the number of these applications that have been refused for the same period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37737/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 629 and 630 together.
The Government is acutely aware of recent price increases and their impact on low income households and those who are dependent on social welfare. For this reason, this Government did not await a further budget cycle to address these challenges but acted early. Overall, the tax and spending measures we have introduced to ease the burden and provide support to those most in need have amounted to €2.4 billion.
The Government continues to monitor the situation carefully in preparation for the Budget later this year. I will be meeting a range of NGOs at the Department's pre-budget forum next month and will listen carefully to the views expressed.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department can make additional needs payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
The payment is available to anyone who needs it and qualifies, whether the person is currently receiving a social welfare payment or working on a low income.
The household income amounts published in relation to additional needs payments are not an eligibility threshold, but are intended as an information guide to assist persons who may find themselves in financial difficulty and require assistance with essential expenses.
Guidelines issued to staff administering the scheme assist them in the decision making process and ensure consistency of service. However, they do not affect the discretion available to officers in issuing an additional needs payment to assist an individual or household in any particular hardship situation which may arise.
An exceptional needs Payment (ENP) is a single payment 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.
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.
The scheme is demand led. The Government has provided funding of €45.75 million for the provision of exceptional and urgent needs that are provided for as Additional Needs Payment in 2022. A further provision of €5.3 million has been provided for SWA Supplements in 2022 (excluding rent supplement).
The Department is developing more extensive statistics in relation to the number of applications made to the ENP/UNP schemes. The focus of the development has been on current data from January 2022 with details on the number of applications available from this date onward. Details of applications pre-January 2022 are not available at this time, however it is possible to provide details on the number of payments that were made.
Table 1 shows the number of ENPs/UNPs awarded for 2021 and to date in 2022 (end of June).
Table 2 shows the number of recipients of Other Supplements on 31 December 2021 and on 30 June 2022.
Table 3 shows the number of ENP/UNP and Other Supplement applications received/disallowed to date in 2022 (to end of June).
This represents a snapshot of claim activity taken at 7th July 2022 and is subject to change. It does not include claims that were cancelled or withdrawn.
Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an additional needs payment is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Tabular Statement
Table 1 - The number of ENPs/UNPs awarded for 2021 and to date in 2022 (to end of June)
|
Year |
Number of Payments |
|
2021 |
55,500 |
|
2022 (to end of June) |
36,987 |
Table 2 - The number of recipients of Other Supplements on 31 December 2021 and on 30 June 2022
|
Year |
Number of Recipients |
|
2021 |
3,698 |
|
2022 (to end of June) |
3,384 |
Table 3 - The number of ENP/UNP and Other Supplement applications received/disallowed to date in 2022 (to end of June)
|
Scheme |
Received |
Disallowed |
|
ENPs/UNPs |
40,718 |
2,676 |
|
Other Supplements |
670 |
78 |
