Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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271. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the breakdown of exceptional needs payments under the supplementary welfare allowance paid in each month ; the total and individual value of each payment; and the total expenditure by category and month from January 2021 to May 2022, inclusive in tabular form. [26987/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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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. 

The 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 in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.

While it is not possible to show the payment value for each individual ENP and UNP paid for the months in question, tables 1 and 2 show the breakdown by category of the number and total expenditure of ENPs and UNPs paid in each of the months for January 2021 to end of April 2022.  Figures for May 2022 are not available as of yet.

Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an exceptional or urgent needs payment is encouraged to contact their local Intreo Centre.  There is a National Intreo Contact Centre in place - 0818-405060 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office. 

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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272. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 304 and 305 of 3 March 2022, the criteria for each heading of payment under the supplementary welfare payment and exceptional needs payment. [26988/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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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.  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.  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.

Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to a payment under the SWA Scheme is encouraged to contact their local Intreo Centre.  There is a National Intreo Contact Centre in place - 0818-405060 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office. 

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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273. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of heating supplement payments that were paid under the supplementary welfare allowance for each month from January 2021 to May 2022, inclusive in tabular form; the number of persons who were in receipt of the fuel allowance; the number who were not in receipt of fuel allowance; the value of each monthly heating payment under the category; and if the payment was made directly to the person or to the energy company. [26989/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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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. 

Under the scheme, my Department may award a supplement to assist with on going or recurring costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources and are deemed to be necessary.  This can include a heating supplement where a person has need for additional heating due to ill health or infirmity.  Heating supplement is not restricted to the fuel season and can be paid throughout the year.

Heating supplements are payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme.  All the relevant circumstances of the case are taken into account in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance. 

Table 1 below show the number of heating supplement recipients at the end of each month for January 2021 to April 2022. 

The expenditure on heating supplement is provided for under the heading of “other supplements” which also include supplements such as travel. Provisional expenditure under these supplements was over €4.0 million in 2021 and €4.33 million has been provided for 2022.  As expenditure on the SWA schemes is reported on an annualised basis, a monthly breakdown is not available.

In January 2022, at a mid point in the fuel season, which began on 21 September 2021, there were 963 people in receipt of a heating supplement, 833 of those recipients were also in receipt of a fuel allowance and 130 people in receipt of a heating supplement were not in receipt of a fuel allowance.

Payment of a supplement may be nominated to a supplier of goods or services with the permission of the customer.  As at the end of April 2022, two heat supplement claims were nominated to an energy or fuel supplier. 

More generally, my Department also provides discretionary Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) where appropriate to people who face difficulties in meeting fuel bills.  In 2021, over 2,300  exceptional needs payments totaling almost €750,000 were made to assist with household bills and heating costs. 

Anyone who struggles with heating costs is entitled to make an application for a payment under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance schemes.  I would encourage them to contact the Community Welfare Service at their local Intreo Centre.  There is a National Intreo Contact Centre in place - 0818-405060 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office. 

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. 

Table 1: Total number of heating supplement recipients at the end of each month for January 2021 to April 2022