Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 222: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be approved disability allowance; if a decision has been made on this application; if she will provide a detailed breakdown of the calculations in this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34528/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The legislative provisions for Disability Allowance are contained in Parts 1 and 2 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 and Articles 141 to 158 of the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 as amended. Means are assessed on the claimants own means and that of their spouse/partner subject to certain exceptions.

The person concerned applied for disability allowance on 19 February 2008. She was assessed with weekly means of €383.28, based on her spouse's earnings, derived as follows:

Gross weekly pay year to date (per payslip): €744.33

Less PRSI, Union & Superannuation: € 45.51

Insurable Employment Disregard €60.00

Total: €638.82

Weekly Means @€0.60 per €1 €383.28

As this exceeded the statutory limit of €377.10 per week for payment of Disability Allowance, her claim was refused.

A letter issued to the person concerned on 19 May 2008 notifying her of this decision, giving her the option of appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office within 21 days.

She appealed this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. On 22 July 2008, an Appeals Officer decided that her means exceeded the statutory income limit for Disability Allowance and her appeal was disallowed. She was notified of the Appeals Officer's decision by letter of 6 August 2008.

On foot of further representation dated 21 August 2008 regarding the appellant's spouse's earnings she was reassessed with weekly means of €382.74, based on her spouse's earnings, derived as follows:

Gross weekly pay year to date (per payslip): €737.05

Less PRSI, Union & Superannuation: €39.14

Insurable Employment Disregard €60.00

Total: €637.91

Weekly Means @€0.60 per €1 €382.74

As these means exceeded the statutory limit of €377.10 per week for payment of Disability Allowance, the decision remained unchanged. A letter issued to her on 11 September 2008 notifying her of the position.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 223: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will support persons (details supplied) in Dublin 17. [34533/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, an exceptional needs payment may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is determined by the Executive based on the particular circumstances of the case. An exceptional needs payment would not normally be paid in the circumstances outlined in the Deputy's question.

The Dublin/Mid Leinster area of the HSE has advised that it has no record of a claim for an exceptional needs payment from the individuals concerned. If the persons concerned feel that they have an exceptional need, they should discuss the particular circumstances with their local community welfare officer.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount of money that was granted in urgent need and exceptional needs payments by community welfare officers in 2007 with a breakdown of the reason for which these payments were made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34546/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA), which is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources.

The principal consideration in making a single payment of SWA to address a particular need is that the need to be met must be "exceptional". Payments should arise only under abnormal conditions and should not become a regular or standard practice. Thus, an exceptional needs payment should be a single payment to meet an unforeseen and/or special need which cannot be met from a client's basic income.

Eligible people would normally be in receipt of a social welfare or HSE payment. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is determined by the Executive based on the particular circumstances of the case, taking account of the nature and extent of the need.

Urgent Needs Payments are similar to exceptional needs payments but are made to persons who would not normally be entitled to SWA for example in the case of damage caused by flooding or fire.

The breakdown of expenditure on ENP's of €69m for 2007 is shown in the following tabular statement.