Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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466. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which she and her Department continue to meet the requirements of persons with insufficient income to meet their ongoing requirements including cost-of-living requirements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59540/22]

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 overarching term, introduced into our statistical reporting in 2022, 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.

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. The amount of funding for Additional Needs Payments is not capped.

In the period January to end of September 2022 67,170 additional needs payments were awarded. 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.

I encourage any person who considers that they may have an entitlement to an additional needs payment to 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.