Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 July 2022
551. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for an additional needs' payment in Cork by reason in 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, respectively in tabular form. [39287/22]
View answerUnder 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 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 scheme is demand led and is funded accordingly. 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.
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 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.
Table 1 shows the number of additional needs payment applications registered in County Cork for 2022 (to end of June). This represents a snapshot of claim activity taken at 4 July 2022 and is subject to change.
The main items for which applications for assistance with costs were registered under the scheme to-date in 2022 include help with fuel, utility bills, repairs to or replacement of household appliances, clothing, child related items such as cots and prams, assistance with funerals and burial costs and travel. Applications have also been received for assistance under this scheme towards rent deposits.
While the number or the categorisation of additional needs payment applications registered prior to 2022 is not available, table 2 shows the number by category of exceptional and urgent needs payments awarded in County Cork for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
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.
TABLE 1 - Number of Additional Needs Payment applications registered in County Cork for 2022 (to end of June)
|
County |
Claims Registered |
|
Cork |
3,687 |
TABLE 2 - Number by category of Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments awarded in County Cork for 2019, 2020 and 2021
|
Category |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
Bills |
204 |
111 |
100 |
|
Child Related |
195 |
129 |
81 |
|
Clothing |
1,095 |
820 |
516 |
|
Funeral |
211 |
234 |
245 |
|
General |
5,279 |
2,167 |
1,187 |
|
Housing |
1,777 |
1,873 |
2,001 |
|
Illness |
32 |
16 |
13 |
|
Urgent Needs Payment |
198 |
35 |
21 |
|
Total |
8,991 |
5,385 |
4,164 |
Note: These figures are taken from the Department’s ENP/UNP database and represent a snapshot of the ENPs/UNPs as they are approved by an officer rather than when they are paid. Please note the figures do not capture payments that are cancelled, payments that go out of date or overpayments recouped.
