Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 June 2022
616. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of exceptional needs payment applications in the past three years; the number per area, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32790/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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. Payments are 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. Additional needs payments include exceptional and urgent needs payments.
An exceptional needs payment (ENP) is a single payment 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) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for supplementary welfare allowance but who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources or where an alternative is not available at that time. Government has provided €45.75 million for the exceptional and urgent needs schemes in 2022.
The Department is developing more extensive statistics in relation to the number of applications made to the ENP/UNP schemes. The focus of the development has been on current data from January 2022 with details on the number of applications available from this date onward. Details of applications pre-January 2022 are not available at this time, however it is possible to provide details on the number of payments that were made.
Table 1 show the number of ENPs/UNPs awarded by county for 2019-2021.
Table 2 shows the number of ENP/UNP applications received by county for 2022.
This represents a snapshot of claim activity taken at 1st June 2022 and is subject to change.
Any person who considers 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.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
TABLE 1 – Number of ENP/UNPs paid by County 2019-2021
|
County |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
CARLOW |
850 |
754 |
682 |
|
CAVAN |
808 |
589 |
565 |
|
CLARE |
2,494 |
1,777 |
1,271 |
|
CORK |
8,991 |
5,385 |
4,164 |
|
DONEGAL |
1,865 |
1,356 |
1,397 |
|
DUBLIN |
28,805 |
22,525 |
19,058 |
|
GALWAY |
2,549 |
1,825 |
1,477 |
|
KERRY |
3,040 |
1,970 |
1,497 |
|
KILDARE |
3,447 |
2,931 |
2,365 |
|
KILKENNY |
1,376 |
1,055 |
952 |
|
LAOIS |
3,473 |
2,169 |
1,585 |
|
LEITRIM |
764 |
850 |
710 |
|
LIMERICK |
3,342 |
2,530 |
2,197 |
|
LONGFORD |
1,394 |
1,227 |
1,080 |
|
LOUTH |
1,780 |
1,457 |
1,454 |
|
MAYO |
2,788 |
1,722 |
1,044 |
|
MEATH |
3,614 |
2,350 |
2,327 |
|
MONAGHAN |
1,219 |
993 |
558 |
|
OFFALY |
1,156 |
1,026 |
852 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
1,742 |
874 |
837 |
|
SLIGO |
1,914 |
924 |
1,083 |
|
TIPPERARY |
3,854 |
2,958 |
2,465 |
|
WATERFORD |
2,930 |
2,201 |
1,337 |
|
WESTMEATH |
3,503 |
2,185 |
1,701 |
|
WEXFORD |
1,172 |
882 |
761 |
|
WICKLOW |
3,328 |
3,074 |
2,133 |
|
Total |
92,198 |
67,589 |
55,552 |
TABLE 2 – Number of ENP/UNP applications by county 2022 (to end of May 2022)
|
County |
Number of Applications |
|
CARLOW |
453 |
|
CAVAN |
445 |
|
CLARE |
1,056 |
|
CORK |
2,811 |
|
DONEGAL |
1,037 |
|
DUBLIN |
8,271 |
|
GALWAY |
1,070 |
|
KERRY |
1,337 |
|
KILDARE |
849 |
|
KILKENNY |
579 |
|
LAOIS |
638 |
|
LEITRIM |
586 |
|
LIMERICK |
1,388 |
|
LONGFORD |
625 |
|
LOUTH |
994 |
|
MAYO |
597 |
|
MEATH |
1,102 |
|
MONAGHAN |
200 |
|
OFFALY |
615 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
403 |
|
SLIGO |
608 |
|
TIPPERARY |
1,124 |
|
WATERFORD |
805 |
|
WESTMEATH |
815 |
|
WEXFORD |
744 |
|
WICKLOW |
1,193 |
|
Total |
30,345 |
