Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make additional needs payments to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the customer’s own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary. 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 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 specific information requested on supplementary welfare allowance schemes by Intreo Centre is not collated; it can be provided by county. In County Louth, in 2022, there were 4,000 additional needs payment applications received and 2,409 payments awarded.

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.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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41. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount dispersed in additional needs payments for the month of January; the amount requested; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6084/23]

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.

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.

Expenditure figures are not yet available for January 2023. In the previous month, December 2022, the provisional total expenditure figure for Additional Need Payments was €7.6m.

The total amount requested for Additional Needs Payments is not recorded. Applications are decided based on the need of the individual, taking all of the circumstances of the case into consideration to provide an appropriate level of assistance for the need presented.

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.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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43. 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 January 2023; the total and individual value of each payment; and the total expenditure by category, in tabular form. [5998/23]

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 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 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.

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

Table 1 shows the breakdown of Additional Needs Payments by category and expenditure for December 2022.

Statistics relating to claims made in January 2023 are not yet available. A statistical summary will be published on a quarterly basis for 2023 onwards.

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 - Breakdown of Additional Needs Payments for December 2022 by category and expenditure.

Note: These expenditure figures are taken from the Department's database and represent a snapshot of ANPs as they are approved by an officer rather than when they are paid. The figures do not capture overpayments recouped and will not reconcile with the end of year outturn figures. The supplement expenditure figures relate only to supplements awarded in December 2022, and not other ongoing claims in payment.