Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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2059. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the amount of savings a person is allowed to have before it is counted as means for a supplementary welfare allowance payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28341/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes.

Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment and/or a weekly/monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, including rent, as well as single exceptional needs payments (ENP) and urgent needs payments (UNP).

For the purpose of assessing means when determining eligibility to a basic weekly payment or a SWA supplement, the capital value of savings are assessed as set in the attached tabular statement. The first €5,000 is not assessed in the calculation. The combination of the means test and awarding differentiated rates of payment is premised on ensuring that social welfare payments are paid to those most in need and reflects the position that persons with reasonable amounts of capital and property are in a position to use that resource to support themselves.

This assessment of the capital value of savings does not apply to ENPs and UNPs. Where a person applies for an ENP or UNP and has sufficient savings to meet the need, they would normally be expected to provide for the need from that source.

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Formula for Assessment of the Capital Value of Savings for Supplementary Welfare Allowance