Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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1431. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons who received a supplementary welfare payment for clothing in each of the years 2014 to 2017 and to date in 2018; the number of persons who have been refused a supplementary payment in each of the years 2014 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15660/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided over €36 million for exceptional payments in 2018.

The ENP scheme is demand led and payments are made 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 scheme. 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.

Statistics are maintained relating to payments under the ENP scheme, however they are not maintained on the number of applications or the outcome of those applications. The attached tabular statement provides details of ENP payments for clothing for the years 2014 to 2017 and to end of March 2018.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Tabular Statement: Summary of ENP payments in respect of Clothing, 2014 - 2018 (end of March)