Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will revise and publish the guidelines governing the decision making of community welfare officers when it comes to discretionary payments. [29057/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme an exceptional needs payment (ENP) can be made to help meet essential, once-off expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. Those who qualify are normally in receipt of a social welfare or HSE payment. Examples of the main types of needs that are met under this provision are:

§ assistance towards the purchase of household appliances, bedding, clothing & child related items such as cots and prams,

§ household repair and maintenance,

§ rent deposits,

§ funeral & burial expenses,

§ travel costs,

§ financial hardship such as lost/stolen money.

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. The use of ENPs and every such decision must be based on the careful consideration of all the circumstances of an individual case.

In addition to the payment of ENPs, SWA legislation also provides for assistance in the form of an Urgent Needs Payment (UNP). In certain circumstances, this payment can be made to persons who would not normally be entitled to SWA. Examples of situations where such assistance may be provided would be in the aftermath of flooding or a domestic fire where the immediate needs, such as food, clothing, fuel, household goods and perhaps shelter, of the people affected may be met by a UNP in cash or in kind.

A working group in the Department is currently undertaking a complete review of the exceptional needs and urgent needs payments which should be completed shortly. Arising from this review the Department expects to produce and publish guidelines for staff dealing with such payments.