Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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267. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) qualified for payment of disability allowance for six weeks after death with a view to meeting funeral costs; if an exceptional needs payment can be made for funeral costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47571/17]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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If a person in receipt of disability allowance (DA) dies and he/she was claiming qualified adult allowance then six weeks after death payment at personal and qualified adult rate is made to the surviving spouse. Also if a person in receipt of DA dies and his/her surviving spouse/partner is in receipt of a Social Welfare payment in their own right, then the spouse is entitled to receive six weeks of their deceased spouse/partners payment in addition to their own. There is no provision in Social Welfare legislation for friends and neighbours to be entitled to six weeks payment after death.

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. An application can be made under the ENP scheme for assistance with funeral and burial expenses where there is an inability to pay these costs, in part or in full, by the family of the deceased person without causing hardship. Any persons who consider that they have an entitlement to an ENP under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme should contact the Department.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.