Written answers

Tuesday, 18 May 2021

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Social Welfare Benefits

Photo of Michael RingMichael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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561. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the main items funded by her Department through community welfare officers for persons who are being rehoused. [26419/21]

Photo of Michael RingMichael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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562. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if persons seeking funding from community welfare officers for household items for rehousing are obliged to provide three quotations for each item requested; the criteria on which these quotations are assessed noting that, for example, electrical items, beds, furniture and bedding can vary dramatically in price and quality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26420/21]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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576. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of exceptional needs payments made by her Department in each of the past three years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26557/21]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 561, 562 and 576 together.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department can 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. An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for supplementary welfare allowance but who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources or where an alternative is not available at that time. Government has provided €46.02 million for the exceptional and urgent needs schemes in 2021.

The ENP and UNP schemes are 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. This is done in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.  

The legislation providing for ENPs and UNPs does not confer a statutory right or entitlement to a payment.  The principal consideration in making a payment under these schemes is to address a particular need.  The Community Welfare Service officers consider all the circumstances of the case when examining an application for support.  

Where a tenant cannot furnish the property from within his/her own resources, s/he can apply for an exceptional needs payment to assist them in furnishing the property. Assistance can be provided in respect of necessary housing related items including bedding, flooring, furniture and household appliances.  The level of furnishings and appliances required will depend on an assessment of size and nature of the proposed property, the expected level of occupancy and items already available to the customer.  Every case is based on the individual circumstances and needs of the household.

ENPs for goods and services should be based on the most reasonable price at which the article or service can be obtained by the customer. In order to establish this, three quotations should be supplied from customers applying for ENPs where this is possible.

The tabular statement that follows shows the number of payments made under the ENP and UNP scheme each year since 2018.

Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an exceptional or urgent needs payment should contact my Department's Community Welfare Service.  My Department has established an Income Support Line - 1890 800 024 – which can be used by customers at this time to contact the Department.  Staff can advise them on how to make an application for assistance from the Department.

If the Deputy has concerns about a particular case, I would ask him to bring it to the attention of my Department.

Tabular Statement 

Year Number of Payments
2018 112,500
2019 92,200
2020 67,500
2021 (end of April) 18,750

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