Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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880. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide a breakdown of exceptional needs payments under the supplementary welfare allowance paid in each month in 2021 and 2022; the total and individual value of each payment; and the total expenditure by category and month in tabular form. [1094/23]

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, that includes 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.

Additional Needs Payments are demand led and 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 reporting of this scheme was revised in 2022 to extract more complete information.  A statistical summary will be published on a quarterly basis for 2023 onwards.  Figures prior to 2022 are collated differently and exclude supplements.

It is not feasible to show the individual payment amount for each Additional Needs Payment.

Table 1 shows a breakdown by month of the number of Exceptional Needs/Urgent Needs Payments in 2021.

Table 2 shows a breakdown by category and month of Exceptional Needs/Urgent Payments in 2021.

Table 3 shows a breakdown by month of the number of Additional Needs Payments in 2022.

Table 4 shows a breakdown by category and month of Additional Needs Payments in 2022.

As the figures represent a snapshot of claim activity, they are subject to change.

Any person who considers that 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.

Table 1 -Exceptional Need/Urgent Needs payments issued by month from January 2021 to end of December 2021

Table 2 - Exceptional Need/Urgent Needs payment expenditure by category and month from January 2021 to the end of December 2021.

Table 3 -Additional Needs payments issued by month from January 2022 to end of December 2022

Table 4 - Additional Needs payment expenditure by category and month from January 2022 to end of December 2022

In addition to the above, the provisional outturn in 2022 for reoccurring supplements (excluding rent supplement) was €3.75m.  A monthly breakdown of this figure is not available.

Note: These figures are taken from the Department's database and represent a snapshot of ENPs/ANPs as they are approved by an officer rather than when they are paid.  The breakdown of figures do not capture payments that are cancelled, payments that go out of date or overpayments recouped and therefore will not reconcile with the end of year outturn figures.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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881. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount spent on hearing aid grants under the treatment benefit scheme in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1130/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Department’s Medical Appliance scheme, which provides grants to assist in the purchase of hearing aids, is available to those who have the required number of PRSI contributions and is also available to their dependant spouse/partner. 

The scheme provides for a €500 grant per ear, towards the purchase of up to two hearing aids every 4 years.

The scheme also provides for one repair per aid in a 4 year period, up to a maximum of €100 per aid.

In 2022 €22.9m was spent on the scheme in respect of over 27,000 claims.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.