Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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294. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the circumstances in which an exceptional needs payment may be made and the amount of flexibility which a community welfare officer or other responsible person has in this regard. [32965/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €47.6m for the scheme in 2013. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. ENPs are payable 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. Persons who consider that they have an entitlement to an ENP under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme should contact the local officials administering the scheme.