Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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373. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the processing times for fuel allowance applications by month for 2021 and 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60786/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Fuel Allowance scheme is a means tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders with their winter heating costs.  The payment is a contribution towards heating costs, it is not intended to meet these costs in full.  The payment is made over the winter season at the weekly rate of €33.00 or, if preferred, by way of two lump sum payments.  Only one Fuel Allowance is payable per household.  Those who qualify for the payment do not need to reapply annually. 

As part of the overall social welfare Budget 2023 package of €2.2 Billion, I am pleased to have secured a major expansion of the fuel allowance scheme, which will benefit an estimated 81,000 additional households from January 2023.

To assess entitlement to fuel allowance, which is a means tested payment, a Deciding Officer must have sufficient information to assess whether all necessary eligibility conditions for the payment are met.  In certain cases, additional information may be awaited to allow the Deciding Officer to complete their assessment. 

The Fuel Allowance is paid, for the most part, in conjunction with primary social welfare schemes, across a number of IT systems with differing functionality for recording processing activity, and consequently precise information on processing timelines is not available.  I am advised that higher than normal volumes of applications are being received and my officials are working through these applications currently.  At the end of December 2021 and at the end of October 2022, there were approximately 375,000 households in receipt of Fuel Allowance

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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374. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications received for each Intreo Office in County Donegal under the supplementary welfare additional needs payment to date in 2022; the number of applications approved and the number refused; and the current processing times in weeks in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60787/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income.  This is an 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 customer’s own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary.

The schemes are demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme considering the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.

Between January and end-September 2022; 4,935 Additional Needs Payment applications were registered, 3,557 were awarded and 252 applications were disallowed.  These figures are provisional and subject to revision. The processing times in weeks are currently not available. The Department is continuing to develop the statistical output of this scheme for the future dissemination of these figures.

The claims currently being received are varied and often quite complex, reflecting the individual circumstances being experienced. Where an application is complete and accompanied by the required documentation, it is generally processed very quickly. Where it is clear that a person has an immediate need, every effort is made to ensure he or she receives a payment on the same day. Any delays are typically due to additional information or documentation being requested from the person and the length of time it takes for the information to be provided. Some claims, by their very nature, are not as urgent and, in these cases, the community welfare officer, CWO, gives greater flexibility to the customers with extended time to respond. Upon receipt of this information, the application will then be processed quickly.

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.