Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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311. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if there is a specific clothing allowance payment available to pensioners or those on a disability related payment; or if such cases are covered under the general exceptional needs payment. [25332/14]

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 €31.3 million for the ENP scheme in 2014.

There is no automatic entitlement to a payment under this scheme. 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.

There is no specific clothing allowance payment available to pensioners or those on a disability related payment. It is expected thatweekly social welfare payments should cover normal clothing needs. However, in exceptional circumstances support is available for clothing under the ENP scheme.

Any 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.