Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 July 2022
583. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of exceptional needs payments and urgent needs payment paid by category for County Wicklow for June 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39498/22]
View answer584. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Social Protection the expenditure on exceptional needs payments and urgent needs payment by county in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39499/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 583 and 584 together.
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 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.
Table 1 shows the number of exceptional needs payments and urgent needs payments paid by category for County Wicklow in June 2022.
Table 2 shows the total expenditure for exceptional needs payments and urgent needs payments in each of the years 2019-2022 (end of June). Breakdown of expenditure by county is not available.
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 exceptional needs payments and urgent needs payments paid by category for County Wicklow in June 2022
|
Category |
Number of Payments |
|
Bills |
6 |
|
Child Related |
3 |
|
Clothing |
53 |
|
Funeral |
6 |
|
General |
28 |
|
Housing |
59 |
|
Illness |
2 |
|
Urgent Needs Payment |
3 |
|
Total |
160 |
Note: These figures are taken from the Department’s ENP/UNP database and represent a snapshot of claims 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.
Table 2 - Total expenditure for exceptional needs payments and urgent needs payments in each of the years 2019-2022 (end of June)
|
Year |
Expenditure |
|
2019 |
43.2m |
|
2020 |
41.0m |
|
2021 |
42.4m |
|
2022 (to end of June) |
22.7m |
