Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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102. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the numbers of applicants to date in 2023 for exceptional needs payments, by category of the exceptional need (for example, energy bills, and so on); the number of those that were successful in receiving a payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24651/23]

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 essential 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.

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.

Table 1 shows the number of Additional Needs Payment claims registered and awarded by category from January 2023 to the end of March 2023.

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.

Tabular Statement

Table 1 – Additional Needs Payments by category from January 2023 to the end of March 2023