Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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458. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of payments made under additional needs payments relating to energy bills in 2022 and to date in 2023, by month. [25856/23]

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.

Table 1 shows the number of Additional Needs Payments awarded in relation to household bills and heating costs, by month, for 2022 and 2023 (up to the end of March).

A heating supplement can be paid where a person has need for additional heating due to ill health or infirmity. Heating supplement is not restricted to the fuel season and can be paid throughout the year.

Table 2 shows the number of Heating Supplements recipients each month from January 2022 to March 2023.

In addition, 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. Significant changes were made to the scheme in the Budget which have already resulted in more than 35,000 additional households in receipt of this payment when the scheme ended.

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. In addition, applications can be made online viawww.mywelfare.ie.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Tabular Statement

Table 1 – number of Additional Needs Payments awarded in relation to household bills and heating costs, by month, for 2022 and 2023 ( up to the end of March).

Table 2- Number of Heating Supplements recipients by month, January 2022 to March 2023