Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government is acutely aware of recent price increases and their impact on low-income households and those who are dependent on social welfare. For this reason, the Government did not await a further budget cycle to address these challenges but acted early. Overall, the tax and spending measures we have introduced to ease the burden and provide support to those most in need have amounted to €2.4 billion.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department can make additional needs payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from his or her weekly income. Also, under this scheme, a supplement can be awarded to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources and are deemed to be necessary. The Government has provided €45.75 million for these payments in 2022. A further provision of €5.3 million has been provided for supplementary welfare allowance payments in 2022, excluding rent supplement. This is the cost-of-living hardship fund. This is a demand-led scheme with no budget cap.

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 main items eligible for assistance include help with fuel, utility bills, repairs to or replacement of household appliances, clothing, child-related items such as cots and prams, assistance with funerals or burial costs and travel. Support is also available to assist persons under this scheme towards rent deposits.

In addition, the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance scheme operates from June to September each year and provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. Recently, I announced that an additional €100 will be paid in respect of each eligible child for 2022. This measure will have an immediate impact on families who are most in need of assistance at this time.

See this speech in context