Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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303. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the selection criteria for activation programs for social welfare claimants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12204/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The aim of the activation process is to support jobseekers along a pathway to sustainable employment. The approach is to help them to develop and pursue a Personal Progression Plan (PPP), including steps to identify and compete for suitable employment opportunities, to take-up relevant work experience, topursue upskilling and training programmes, to set up their own business, to return to fulltime education, or to participate in State/community employment programmes. PPPs are tailored to the needs of the individual and form the basis of the engagement through agreed actions between the client and the employment services officer.

Jobseekers selected for activation are invited to engage with an employment services officer to

a) explore employment, training and development options, and

b) actively pursue a program of agreed actions to be taken towards gaining employment.

Activation services are provided both internally through the Department’s Intreo Centres, and externally through our partners such as Local Employment Services (LES) and JobPath.

The criteria for selection for activation are as follows:

- The customer has been awarded a jobseeker payment, and

- There is no policy reason for excluding the customer from activation. For example, jobseekers aged 62 years and upwards are not selected for activation.

Additional criteria apply to customers selected for the Local Employment Service (LES) and JobPath.

- In the case of both LES and JobPath, customers are selected when they have more than 312 claim paid days.

- In the case of JobPath, additional criteria apply including the referral of casual workers and self-employed persons in receipt of an income-related jobseeker’s payment.

The selection process is automated and is random.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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304. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the breakdown of supplementary welfare allowance applications in January and February 2021, by county; the number of applications awarded in those months; the number refused in those months; the total amount paid out in those months; and the reasons given for the payments by county. [12221/22]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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305. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the breakdown of supplementary welfare allowance applications in January and February 2022, by county; the number of applications awarded in those months; the number refused in those months; the total amount paid out in those months; and the reasons given for the payments by county. [12222/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 304 and 305 together.

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 dependents. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single exceptional needs payments (ENPs) and urgent needs payments (UNPs).

The basic supplementary welfare allowance provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment or do not qualify for payment under other State schemes.

Rent supplement provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The scheme ensures that for those who were renting, but whose circumstances have changed due to temporary loss of employment, can continue to meet their rental commitments.

Under the SWA scheme, a supplement can be awarded to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary. In addition, officers 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. Decisions on ENPs and SWA supplements 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.

Statistics are maintained on the number of applications awarded under the SWA scheme. Statistics are not maintained on the number of applications refused, including over the period January/February 2021 and January/February 2022. My Department is currently compiling more extensive statistics in relation the number of applications made to the SWA schemes in 2022.

As expenditure on the SWA schemes is reported on an annualised basis, the amounts paid out for the months in question are not available.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Table 1 shows the number of Basic SWA and supplement recipients by county, at end of January 2021.

Table 2 shows the number of Basic SWA and supplement recipients by county, at end of February 2021.

Table 3 shows the number of Basic SWA and supplement recipients by county, at end of January 2022.

Table 4 shows the number of Basic SWA and supplement recipients by county, at end of February 2022.

Table 5 shows the number of ENPs and UNPs paid by county for January 2021, February 2021, January 2022 and February 2022 (To the 25th).

Table 6 shows the number of ENPs and UNPs paid by category for January 2021, February 2021, January 2022 and February 2022 (To the 25th).

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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306. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if supplementary welfare will be approved for a person (details supplied); and if the household issues will be investigated to determine the level of intervention required. [12232/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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According to the records of this Department, the person concerned was awarded a One Parent Family Payment with effect from 12/08/2021.  He is currently in receipt of a weekly payment of €441 which includes a Fuel Allowance payment of €33.  The person concerned is also receiving a Carer’s Allowance payment of €112 per week, a monthly Domiciliary Care payment of €309.50 and Child Benefit of €700.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance 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.  There is no automatic entitlement to these payments which are payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, considering the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case.

According to our records the person concerned applied for an ENP on 18/08/2021 to assist with funeral expenses and was awarded €3,000 on the same day.  The person concerned was also awarded ENPs on 05/08/2021 and 30/08/2021 for €500 and €300 respectively.

An official from the Community Welfare Service in Kilkenny has arranged for an ENP application pack to be issued to the person concerned.  When a completed application has been received a Designated Person will assess the claim and the person concerned will be advised of the outcome in writing.

I hope this clarifies the matter.