Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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117. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider revising the criteria in relation to access to the exceptional needs payments such as the time limits between applications and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38606/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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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.  This is an administrative overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources and are deemed to be necessary. 

The payment is available to anyone who needs it and qualifies, whether the person is currently receiving a social welfare payment or working on a low income. 

The guidelines issued to staff administering the scheme assist them in the decision making process and ensure consistency of service.  However, they do not affect the discretion available to officers in issuing an additional needs payment to assist an individual or household in any particular hardship situation which may arise and do not reference time limits between applications. 

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.   

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.

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. 

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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118. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps that have been taken by her Department to assist parents of school children with the costs associated with children returning to school in September. [38777/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn.  The scheme operates from June to September each year.

This year, the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payment has been increased by €100 for the 2022 scheme year, building on the previously announced increase of €10.  The rates of payment for the 2022 scheme year are €260 for children aged between 4 and 11 years and €385 for children aged 12 and over.

In order to target those families most in need of assistance, the allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child allowance is being paid and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 who are in full-time second level education and in respect of whom a qualified child allowance is being paid. 

To qualify for the allowance an applicant must meet a number of conditions, including an income limit test.

Following a review of the scheme the income limits for one parent families were increased this year to bring them in line with the income limits for two parent families, widening the eligibility for that cohort of customers.  The income limits were also increased to ensure that the increases in weekly social protection payments rates introduced in Budget 2022 will not negatively impact on an individual’s entitlement to the allowance.

Applications which fall outside the normal rules of the scheme may be considered for an additional needs payment under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme by the Community Welfare Service (CWS).  

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 CWS Contact Centre in place – 0818-607080 – which will direct callers to the appropriate office.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.