Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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261. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider making available financial assistance to families to assist with extra food costs for those suffering food allergies (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49253/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Diet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet because of a specified medical condition. There are currently approximately 1,320 people in receipt of diet supplement.

A review of the costs of healthy eating and specialised diets by the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute was commissioned by the Department during 2013. The research showed that the average costs across all the retail outlets of the diets supplemented under the scheme could be met from within one-third of the minimum personal rate of social welfare payment, i.e. the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) rate, which was then paid at €186 per week (and is currently paid at €206 per week). The diet supplement scheme was discontinued for new applicants from 1 February 2014 based on this evidence.

Recipients continue to receive the diet supplement at their existing rate of payment for as long as they continue to have an entitlement to the scheme or until their circumstances change. This ensured that nobody was immediately worse off by the closure of the scheme.

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 scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single Additional Needs Payments (ANPs).

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 ANP to help meet essential, once-off expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. Decisions on ANPs 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 that they may have an entitlement to financial support should contact their local Community Welfare Service for assistance. 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.