The Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall Social Welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single additional needs payments.
Under the SWA 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 person’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
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.
Departmental records reflect the person concerned has not made a recent application for an Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP). It is open to the person to apply for an ENP by completing a SWA1 form and provide all relevant documents in support of her application.
For convenience, an application form has been posted to the person concerned. On receipt of a completed application and any supporting documentation, the application will be assessed and the person concerned advised of the outcome in writing.
The person is currently in receipt of a Working Family Payment of €124 per week.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
