Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018
2501. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons aged 66 years of age and over who received assistance through the exceptional needs payment and urgent needs payment in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; the payment rate made to these persons; and the total spend in this regard. [33454/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra2502. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons aged 66 years of age and over who receive and have received the supplementary welfare allowance in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; the amount awarded; and the total spend in this regard. [33455/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 2501 and 2502 together.
The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes. Basic SWA can also be paid to persons who are awaiting the outcome of an application for a primary social welfare payment. There are currently some 16,400 persons in receipt of a weekly basic SWA payment. The Government has provided over €103 million for basic SWA payments in 2018.
Under the SWA scheme, the 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. An urgent needs payment (UNP) is a once-off payment made to persons who may not normally qualify for SWA but who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources or an alternative is not available at that time. The Government has provided over €36 million for these payments in 2018.
The ENP scheme is demand led and provides assistance to those with exceptional needs, 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. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment or pre-determined amounts under the scheme. Over 103,500 ENPs issued during 2017 at a provisional cost of €38.1 million.
Details of the numbers of persons aged 66 years and over who were in receipt of a basic SWA payment at the end of 2016, 2017 and end-June 2018, and the personal rate payable, are contained in Table 1. Expenditure figures in relation to basic SWA claims for persons aged 66 years and over are not available.
Details of the number of ENPs/UNPs paid to persons aged 66 years and over in 2016, 2017 and to end-June 2018, and the expenditure on these payments, are contained in Table 2.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Table 1: Number of Recipients of Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowances, aged 66 years and over, and Payment Rates.
|
- |
Number of Basic SWA Recipients aged 66 years and over |
Maximum Weekly Personal Rate of Payment |
|
2016 (at end Dec) |
292 |
€186 |
|
2017 (at end Dec) |
303 |
€191 |
|
2018 (to end June) |
399 |
€196 |
Table 2: ENPs paid to persons aged 66 years and over.
|
- |
Number of Payments |
Expenditure |
|
2016 |
6,135 |
€3.2 m |
|
2017 |
6,655 |
€3.4 m |
|
2018 (to end June) |
3,065 |
€1.8 m |
