Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

A bereavement at any stage is always very difficult for families.

I sympathise with the two cases Deputy Durkan has brought to my attention. It would be worthwhile to outline the policy position.

The administration of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme was transferred to the Department of Social Protection on 1 October 2011. The Department of Social Protection's assistant principal officers and higher executive officers administer the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.

The objectives of the scheme are to provide a standard minimum income, in an immediate and flexible manner, to those whose means are insufficient to meet their basic needs. The scheme also provides income support in the form of a weekly or monthly supplement to those with specific needs that cannot be met from their regular weekly income. In addition, the scheme can assist, by way of a single payment, individuals who have one-off exceptional or urgent needs that cannot be met from their regular weekly income.

In the context of the administration of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, governance in the community welfare service involves implementing the highest standards in the process of decision-making and the process by which those decisions are implemented. In this regard, this means strict adherence to the Department's legislative policies and guidelines.

Section 201 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 provides the legal basis for exceptional needs payments. The Government has provided €29 million for the exceptional needs payment scheme in 2015. The purpose of the scheme is to assist the recipient with one-off expenditure, which is exceptional and unforeseen and which, given the circumstances of the case, they could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their normal weekly income. Exceptional needs payments are not intended to cater for expenses that are of a predictable and recurring nature, such as fuel or clothing, which should be budgeted for out of regular weekly income.

In making a determination on an exceptional needs payment application, the community welfare officer considers the nature and extent of the need in deciding the appropriate nature and level of assistance. In performing this function, the Department's officer must take into account the available guidelines issued by regional and local management.

A claim for assistance with funeral expenses under the social welfare allowance scheme is treated as a claim for an exceptional needs payment. In 2014, the Department supported approximately 3,000 applicants with financial assistance towards the costs of funeral expenses, at a provisional cost of some €4.6 million. Entitlement to an exceptional needs payment for assistance towards funeral expenses is discretionary. The application is means tested and the primary consideration in determining that a payment is warranted is that there is an inability to pay the costs, in part or in full, by the family of the deceased person without causing hardship.

In determining eligibility for an exceptional needs payment towards the cost of funeral expenses, the community welfare officer must establish that the person applying for the payment has difficulty in meeting the funeral costs without causing hardship while also considering the ability of other members of the family to meet, or contribute to, the cost involved. In performing this function, the community welfare officer must take into account the available guidelines on funeral expenses.

There were 189 exceptional needs payments awarded to assist with funeral expenses by the Department in Kildare from January 2014 to February 2015. The maximum payment made was €2,500 and the minimum payment made was €100. In total, €314,090 was paid, representing an average payment of €1,661.

In the case of the first person concerned, a payment of €1,500 was awarded initially by the community welfare officer towards the cost of the funeral expenses. This was increased to €2,500 following a review by the review officer at the request of the person concerned. In the case of the second person concerned, a payment of €2,000 was awarded by the community welfare officer towards the cost of the funeral expenses. This was increased to €3,000 following a review by the review officer at the request of the person concerned.

In any circumstances where an applicant is unhappy with the outcome of an application for an exceptional needs payment, the applicant may have the original decision reviewed by a supplementary welfare allowance review officer. I am satisfied that the procedures and guidelines relating to the provision of assistance towards funeral costs through the exceptional needs payments scheme were adhered to in respect of these two cases.

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