Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided over €36 million for exceptional and urgent needs payments in 2018.
An ENP is a means tested payment payable 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.
An application can be made under the ENP scheme for assistance with funeral and burial expenses where there is an inability to pay these costs, in part or in full, by the family of the deceased person without causing hardship. In 2017 almost 2,800 ENPs were paid at a cost of €5.1 million towards funeral and burial expenses.
There are no current plans to introduce a grant scheme as outlined by the Deputy. The introduction of any new scheme would have to be considered in a budgetary context and within the scope of the overall resources available for welfare improvements. However should the Deputy be aware of a case which may require an ENP to assist with the cost of a funeral for a child under age 16 years, the family should be advised to contact their local community welfare service who may be able to offer assistance.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.