Written answers

Tuesday, 14 June 2022

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Departmental Data

Photo of Maurice QuinlivanMaurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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1105. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of exceptional needs payments in relation to help with fuel bills that have been made in each of the years 2016 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29546/22]

Photo of Maurice QuinlivanMaurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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1106. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of exceptional needs payments in relation to help with funeral bills that have been made in each the years 2016 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29547/22]

Photo of Maurice QuinlivanMaurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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1107. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of exceptional needs payments that have been made in each of the years 2016 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29548/22]

Photo of Maurice QuinlivanMaurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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1108. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the expenditure on exceptional needs payments in relation to help in all cases in each of the years 2016 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29549/22]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1105, 1106, 1107 and 1108 together.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department can make additional needs payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income.  An Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) is a single payment 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 €45.75 million for the exceptional and urgent needs schemes in 2022.

The scheme is demand led.  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.

Table 1 shows the number of ENP/UNP payments paid 2016 to 2022.

Table 2 show the total expenditure on ENPs/UNPs from 2016 to 2022.

Table 3 shows the number of ENPs paid towards funeral expenses from 2016 to 2022.

Table 4 shows the number of ENPs paid towards heating and household bills from 2016 to 2022.

Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an additional needs payment is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service.  There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.  

Table 1-Number of ENP/UNPs paid 2016-2022

Year Number of Payments
2016 100,107
2017 103,454
2018 112,514
2019 92,198
2020 67,589
2021 55,552
2022 (to end of April) 18,927

Table 2 Total expenditure on ENPs/UNPs 2016-2022

Year Expenditure
2016 32.2m
2017 38.1m
2018 42.3m
2019 43.2m
2020 41.0m
2021 42.4m
2022 (to end of April) 12.4m

Table 3 – The number of ENPs paid towards funeral expenses from 2016 to 2022

Year Number of Payments
2016 2,937
2017 2,786
2018 2,881
2019 2,905
2020 2,788
2021 2,445
2022 (to end of April) 900

Table 4 – The number of ENPs paid towards heating and household bills from 2016 to 2022

Year Number of Payments 
2016 3,537
2017 3,036
2018 3,521
2019 3,012
2020 2,242
2021 2,357
2022 (to end of April) 1,001

Note:These figures in tables 1, 3 and 4 are taken from the Department’s ENP/UNP database and represent a snapshot of the ENPs/UNPs as they are approved by an officer rather than when they are paid.  Please note the figures do not capture payments that are cancelled, payments that go out of date or overpayments recouped.

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