Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

711. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications for supplementary welfare each month from March 2020 by county to date. [21897/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants.

Basic weekly SWA may be paid to customers awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment. In certain circumstances if a person is not eligible for other social welfare payments and their weekly income is below the SWA rate for their family size, a payment may be made to bring their income up to the appropriate SWA rate.

Statistics are not maintained on the number of applications made for the scheme. As at the end of August 2020, there were 13,800 customers in receipt of basic SWA. Of these 13,800 cases, 5,300 have been registered since 1st March 2020.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.