Seán Sherlock
Question:229. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in supports being paid to residents in Cork following flooding (details supplied). [6729/24]
View answerWednesday, 14 February 2024
Questions (229)
Written answers
The purpose of the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS) is to prevent hardship by providing income tested financial support to people whose homes are damaged from flooding and severe weather events and who are not able to meet costs for essential needs, household items and in some instances structural repair. The scheme is administered by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) in this Department.
Following any severe weather event, CWS staff closely monitor the situation on the ground in the area affected and work alongside relevant local authorities and other agencies to assess emerging needs and to participate in the local response effort that is mounted following a particular event.
CWS staff were immediately available on the ground in Cork in the aftermath of Storm Babet offering financial assistance and advice to those living in the affected areas.
In dealing with emergency events the Department generally adopts a three-stage approach as follows:
• Stage 1 provides emergency income support payments (food/clothing/personal items) in the immediate aftermath of the event.
• Stage 2 involves the replacement of white goods, basic furniture items and other essential household items.
• Stage 3 is to identify what longer term financial support is required, including plastering, dry-lining, relaying of floors, electrical re-wiring and painting.
Where financial assistance is required for structural damage and the estimated cost as outlined in builder’s quotes provided by the customer is of a high value amount, the case will be referred to the Loss Adjusters appointed by the Department of Social Protection.
Households in Copper Valley Vue Estate, Glanmire, Co. Cork have received continuous support since this storm and there has been no undue delay with any HAS claims;
• Stage 1 - All households that have applied for Stage 1 assistance, have received a payment.
• Stage 2 – Of the households that have applied for Stage 2 support, those claims have been actioned and my Department are awaiting the provision of further information from two applicants in order to progress their claims.
• Stage 3 – It was necessary due to high value of the claim amounts to refer the claims of the households that have applied for assistance under Stage 3 of the HAS scheme to a Loss Adjustor. To date, where the Loss Adjuster reports have been returned, letters of offer have been sent to the customers. My Department is awaiting Loss Adjuster reports for the remaining two applications.
Due to the complexity involved additional information is also required to progress the remaining claims, and it can take some time for this information to be made available by the client. The CWS is paying close attention to all claims received and claims are being processed as quickly as is possible. Where it is necessary to involve the services of a Loss Adjuster, this may also impact on the timeframes involved.
Any household in an area affected by severe weather can access the support of the HAS by contacting the Community Welfare Service at 0818 60 70 80, or they can call in to the Intreo Centre at Abbeycourt House in Cork City to discuss their HAS application with a Community Welfare Officer.
I trust this clarifies the matter.