Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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998. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied). [11000/20]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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An Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) is a single payment to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.  ENPs are paid under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme and are means assessed.

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 automatic entitlement to a payment under this scheme. 

The person concerned made an application for an ENP in February 2020. The application was refused on the basis that there was a second income in the home, the details of which were not submitted for means assessment.

I am advised that the Designated Person received new information from the person concerned on 12 June 2020.  Following receipt of this information the Designated Person has revised his original decision and will be assisting the person concerned with payment of an ENP.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.