Social Welfare Benefits

Tuesday, 13 June 2023

Questions (798, 799)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

798. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of individuals receiving the supplementary welfare allowance in each of the past five years, in tabular form. [27394/23]

View answer

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

799. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount paid out in supplementary welfare allowance in each of the past five years, in tabular form. [27395/23]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 798 and 799 together.

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.

The basic supplementary welfare allowance provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment or do not qualify for payment under other State schemes.

Rent supplement provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The scheme ensures that those who were renting, but whose circumstances have changed due to temporary loss of employment, can continue to meet their rental commitments.

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.

Table 1 shows the number of recipients for Basic SWA, Rent Supplement and Other Supplements at year end for 2018-2022.

Table 2 shows the number of exceptional and urgent need payments made 2018-2022.

Table 3 shows expenditure on SWA schemes 2018-2022.

Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to Supplementary Welfare Allowance 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. In addition, applications can be made online via www.mywelfare.ie.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Tabular Statement

Table 1 - Number of recipients for Basic SWA, Rent Supplement and Other Supplements, at year end for 2018-2022

Scheme	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Basic SWA	17,470	16,884	12,324	10,824	12,694
Rent Supplement	24,303	16,781	19,304	13,401	9,731
Other Supplements	6,682	5,490	4,376	3,698	3,465

Table 2 - Number of exceptional and urgent need payments made 2018-2022

Scheme	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022*
Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments	112,514	92,198	67,589	55,552	97,224

* The reporting of this scheme was revised in 2022 to extract more complete information and to include reoccurring supplements in the overarching term of an Additional Needs Payment. The 2022 figure above includes 884 newly awarded supplements issued under the Additional Needs Payments scheme.

Table 3 - Expenditure on Supplementary Welfare Allowance schemes 2018-2022

Scheme	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Basic SWA	€111,818,000	€120,175,000	€115,212,000	€94,865,000	€121,595,000
Rent Supplement	€175,000,000	€125,200,000	€133,100,000	€123,000,000	€75,200,000
Other Supplements	€7,660,000	€6,600,000	€4,941,000	€4,066,000	€3,747,000
Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments	€42,300,000	€43,200,000	€41,029,000	€43,089,000	€57,667,000

Question No. 799 answered with Question No. 798.