Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Social Welfare Payments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 February 2023

Tuesday, 14 February 2023

Ceisteanna (394)

Pa Daly

Ceist:

394. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection for a breakdown in tabular form of additional needs payments made in County Kerry for the years 2018 to 2022. [6696/23]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make additional needs payments to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the customer’s own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary.

The schemes are demand led and 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.

The reporting of the schemes was revised in 2022 to extract more complete information. Statistics are available on the number of Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments made in 2018-2021, but not on the number of supplements awarded.

Table 1 shows the number of Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments made in 2018-2021 and the number of Additional Needs Payments made in 2022, by category in Co Kerry.

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 - The number of Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments made in 2018-2021 and the number of Additional Needs Payments made in 2022 by category in Co Kerry.

Category

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Bills

53

50

52

47

68

Child Related

61

42

34

37

38

Clothing

447

343

289

171

3,435

Funeral

59

69

60

42

50

General

1,973

2,011

968

700

1,029

Housing

474

431

531

478

555

Illness

8

3

6

8

11

Urgent Needs Payment

131

91

30

14

25

Other (Supplement)

8

Total

3,206

3,040

1,970

1,497

5,219

Barr
Roinn