Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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151. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons availing of the additional needs payment; if so, if there has been an increase in the number recipients to date in 2022 compared to previous years, including 2019; the percentage of persons who are on a core social welfare payment who are successful or unsuccessful upon application; the percentage of persons not on a core social welfare payment are successful or unsuccessful upon application; the overall annual budget for this payment; the average total payment to each successful applicant per annum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34837/22]

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 umbrella 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 client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.

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.

In general, additional needs payments are not intended to cover circumstances where responsibility rests with another Government Department or Agency. However, an additional needs payment can be made to help meet essential expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.

In the period January to end of June 2022, payments totalling €22.7 million have been made in relation to some 37,000 additional needs payments. The main items eligible for assistance include help with fuel, utility bills, repairs to or replacement of household appliances, clothing, child related items such as cots and prams, assistance with funerals or burial costs and travel. Support is also available to assist persons under this scheme towards rent deposits. Some 3,400 customers are currently in receipt of an additional supplement to help with ongoing needs. Assistance provided under these supplements includes heat, travel and other ongoing costs. Payments totalling €1.8 million have been made to date under these supplements.

The scheme is demand led. The Government has provided funding of €45.75 million for the provision of exceptional and urgent needs that are provided for as Additional Needs Payment in 2022. A further provision of €5.3 million has been provided for SWA Supplements in 2022 (excluding rent supplement).

The payment amount, which can have a wide range value, will depend on a person’s weekly household income, their outgoings and the type of assistance needed.

The Department is developing more extensive statistics in relation to the number of applications made to the ENP/UNP schemes. The focus of the development has been on current data from January 2022 with details on the number of applications available from this date onward. Details of applications pre-January 2022 are not available at this time; however it is possible to provide details on the number of payments that were made.

Table 1 shows the number of ENPs/UNPs awarded and total expenditure for 2019-2022 (end of June).

Table 2 shows the number of Additional Needs Payment applications received/awarded/disallowed to-date in 2022 (end of June).

Table 3 shows the number of recipients of Other Supplements and the total expenditure at end of 2019, 2020, 2021 and end of June 2022.

This represents a snapshot of claim activity taken at 4th July 2022 and is subject to change.

Information on the percentage of claims that are successful or not and the applicant's income source is not collated.

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.

Tabular Statement

TABLE 1 – Number of ENP/UNPs awarded and total expenditure for 2019-2022 (to end of of June)

TABLE 2 – Number of Additional Needs Payment applications received/awarded/disallowed to-date in 2022 (to end of June)

Table 3 - Number of recipients of Other Supplements and the total expenditure at end of 2019, 2020, 2021 and end of June 2022

Note:These figures in tables 1, 2 and 3 are taken from the Department’s database and represent a snapshot of claims 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.