Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 April 2024
461. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of payments made, per county, for each month of 2024, for additional needs payments and exceptional needs payments, by category, in tabular form. [19271/24]
View answerUnder the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements.
Additional Needs Payments are demand led and 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 Additional Needs Payments, monthly, by county from Jan 2024 to the end of March 2024.
Table 2 shows the number of Additional Needs Payments by category from Jan 2024 to the end of March 2024.
Any person who considers that 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. In addition, applications can be made online via www.mywelfare.ie.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Tabular Statement
Table 1 – Additional Needs Payments awarded by county from Jan 2024 to the end of March 2024
|
County |
Jan-24 |
Feb-24 |
Mar-24 |
|
Carlow |
92 |
93 |
84 |
|
Cavan |
76 |
64 |
46 |
|
Clare |
233 |
128 |
119 |
|
Cork |
562 |
447 |
466 |
|
Donegal |
293 |
232 |
259 |
|
Dublin |
2,795 |
2,866 |
2,904 |
|
Galway |
358 |
318 |
282 |
|
Kerry |
342 |
257 |
191 |
|
Kildare |
234 |
302 |
281 |
|
Kilkenny |
148 |
93 |
69 |
|
Laois |
180 |
134 |
138 |
|
Leitrim |
96 |
60 |
42 |
|
Limerick |
294 |
185 |
158 |
|
Longford |
111 |
65 |
95 |
|
Louth |
196 |
176 |
182 |
|
Mayo |
211 |
163 |
157 |
|
Meath |
295 |
236 |
177 |
|
Monaghan |
67 |
50 |
69 |
|
Offaly |
152 |
124 |
101 |
|
Roscommon |
95 |
77 |
80 |
|
Sligo |
128 |
85 |
114 |
|
Tipperary |
242 |
187 |
180 |
|
Waterford |
201 |
114 |
139 |
|
Westmeath |
209 |
140 |
138 |
|
Wexford |
200 |
156 |
146 |
|
Wicklow |
213 |
172 |
144 |
|
Total |
8,023 |
6,924 |
6,761 |
Table 2- Additional Needs payments awarded by category from January 2024 to the end of March 2024
|
Category |
Number of payments |
|
Bills |
473 |
|
Child Related |
456 |
|
Clothing |
8,397 |
|
Funeral |
756 |
|
General |
5,841 |
|
Housing |
5,284 |
|
Illness |
220 |
|
Other Supplements |
113 |
|
Urgent Needs Payment |
168 |
|
Total |
21,708 |
