Written answers
Tuesday, 5 April 2022
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Community Welfare Services
Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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515. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons who met with the community welfare officer in person at locations (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17489/22]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not maintain records of the number of persons who meet with the Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) in Intreo Centres and Outreach locations.
The following tables show:
- the number of Basic weekly Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) in payment in December 2019, 2020 and 2021 in the locations concerned.
- the number of SWA supplements (including Rent Supplement, Diet Supplement and Travel Supplement) in payment in December 2019, 2020 and 2021 in the locations concerned and
- the number of Exceptional Needs Payment awarded and paid during 2019, 2020 and 2021 in the locations concerned.
It should be noted that in Quarter 4, 2021, the claimload in Mountmellick was reallocated to CWOs in adjacent areas to maximise efficiencies in claim processing.
The data beneath will give an indication of the level of traffic to the Community Welfare Service in Portlaoise, Rathdowney and Mountmellick in December in the years 2019, 2020 and 2021:
| Basic SWA claims in payment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Dec-19 | Dec-20 | Dec-21 |
| Portlaoise | 303 | 193 | 184 |
| Rathdowney | 71 | 54 | 48 |
| Mountmellick | 42 | 24 | 1 |
| SWA Supplements claims in payment | |||
| Location | Dec-19 | Dec-20 | Dec-21 |
| Portlaoise | 148 | 159 | 92 |
| Rathdowney | 23 | 31 | 30 |
| Mountmellick | 28 | 21 | 1 |
Exceptional Needs Payments made
| Year | Portlaoise | Rathdowney | Mountmellick |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2,269 | 432 | 305 |
| 2020 | 1,650 | 231 | 171 |
| 2021 | 1,119 | 166 | 98 |
It is important to note that as part of my continued commitment to improve the CWS in County Laois and across the country, customers no longer have to meet in person with a CWO to make a claim. Consultations with a CWO are available via phone at our offices and a direct home visit appointment can be arranged depending on the customer’s needs. All applications for assistance are dealt with promptly by my officials.
This change is a significant enhancement to the service offered to customers as it means that those who require community welfare assistance no longer need to visit an outreach location or wait to make a claim or wait to access the service. The initiatives that I have put in place continue to ensure that the service is easily accessible and responsive to customer needs, particularly in a time of crisis or emergency.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
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