Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 945: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will review the decision regarding retrospective payment of jobseekers allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1188/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned made a claim for Jobseekers Benefit on 13 February 2008 and sought to have his claim backdated. Under social welfare regulations a claim may only be backdated where the claimant can prove that there was good cause for the delay in making the claim. The Deciding Officer considered that he had not shown good cause to have his claim backdated and payment was duly awarded from the date of claim. He appealed the decision not to backdate payment to the Social Welfare Appeals Officer and his appeal was initially allowed on 21 July 2008.

A further review of the Appeals Officer's decision was sought from the Chief Appeals Officer who revised the decision of the Appeals Officer and disallowed the appeal stating that the claimant did not show good cause for the backdating of his claim. In these circumstances and given that the Appeals Office has at this juncture reviewed the case on two occasions it is not proposed to review the case further.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 946: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when a supplementary welfare allowance will be granted in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1190/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on behalf of the department by the Health Service Executive. The Executive has advised that it has no record of an application for supplementary welfare allowance from the person concerned. As advised in my reply of 16th December 2008 to the Deputy, the person concerned has been refused rent supplement as she is regarded as not being lawfully in the State. She has appealed against this decision to the HSE Appeals Office and will be contacted directly when a decision has been made on her appeal.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 947: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, further to Parliamentary Question No. 452 of 11 November 2008, if her attention has been drawn to facts (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1213/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is administered on behalf of the department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The South-Eastern area of the HSE has advised that the person concerned was refused basic SWA in September 2008 on the basis of non disclosure of means. The person concerned has been advised by the HSE that his claim cannot be progressed further until additional information on income has been provided. To date the person concerned has not provided the requested information.

The person concerned was informed of his right to appeal the decision to a designated appeals officer of the Executive but to date no appeal has been lodged. The person concerned was refused Jobseekers Allowance (JA) in December 2008 and he has appealed this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 948: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will assist a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [1219/09]

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 (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. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is determined by the Executive based on the particular circumstances of the case.

The Executive has advised that the person concerned recently received a number of exceptional needs payments, including a payment in December 2008 towards the cost of moving from his previous accommodation to his new address. The person concerned requested a review of the amount given to him for the moving expenses. The matter is currently being dealt with by the Superintendent Community Welfare Officer who has advised that he will be in contact the person concerned shortly.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 949: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will assist persons (details supplied). [1221/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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This department's role is to assist social welfare recipients with heating costs, both through their basic payments and through the household benefits package with fuel, electricity and gas allowances. The national fuel allowance scheme assists householders on long-term social welfare or health service executive (HSE) payments with meeting the cost of their heating needs during the winter season. The allowance represents a contribution towards a person's normal heating expenses. It is not intended to meet those costs in full.

No application for a fuel allowance has been received from the persons concerned. An application form has now been forwarded to the family for completion. An electricity allowance under the household benefits package is in payment to people concerned. In addition, if a recipient of a social welfare or Health Service Executive (HSE) payment has exceptional heating costs due to ill health, infirmity or a medical condition which he/she is unable to meet out of household income, it is open to him/her to apply for a special heating supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme. Legislation also provides for a single payment — known as an exceptional needs payment — to be made to help meet essential, once-off exceptional expenditure.

It is open to the people concerned to contact the community welfare officer in their local health centre in order that their entitlement to a special heating supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme can be examined.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 950: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 was refused a back to school clothing and footwear allowance. [1247/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) scheme is administered on behalf of the department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Applications for the allowance may be made between the beginning of June and the end of September each year. The Executive has advised that it has no record of an application for BSCFA from the person concerned for 2008. If the person concerned wishes to make an application for BSCFA for the 2009 scheme, she should apply to the community welfare officer at her local health centre in June of this year in order that her entitlement to an allowance can be assessed.