Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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362. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her continued plans to address the needs of older people in rural or urban settings in the context of the Budget; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41567/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Throughout 2022 and into this year Government has provided a range of unprecedented supports to protect people and families as the cost of living has increased. This includes a €2.2 Billion Social Protection Budget 2023 Package - the largest in the history of the State – which included eight lump sum payments in the last quarter of 2022, and a further package announced in February, providing over €410 million in additional Social Protection supports to households and families.

Key supports for older people included:

• As part of the Government's cost of living measures in Budget 2023, an Autumn Cost of Living Double Payment was paid to Social Protection recipients, including pensioners, in October.
• In November, a €200 Lump Sum Payment was paid to pensioners and people with a disability receiving the Living Alone Allowance, a €500 Cost of Living Payment was paid to people receiving the Carer’s Support Grant and a €500 Cost of Living lump sum was paid to people in receipt of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension and Blind Pension. A €400 additional Lump Sum payment was also paid to all households in receipt of the Fuel Allowance Payment.
• In December, a Christmas Bonus Double Payment was paid to 1.3 million Social Protection recipients including pensioners, carers and people with disabilities.
• From January 2023, the maximum rate of core Social Welfare rates was increased by €12. There were proportionate increases for qualified adults and for people getting a reduced rate.
• Also, from January 2023, a new Fuel Allowance means threshold was introduced for people aged 70 years and over. The new means threshold is €500 for a single person and €1,000 for a couple. The weekly means threshold for those aged under 70 was increased by €80 to €200 above the appropriate rate of State Pension (Contributory). Similarly, the allowable means for HHB purposes for those aged between 66-69 not in receipt of a qualifying payment was also increased by €80 to €200 above the appropriate rate of State Pension (Contributory).
• The enhanced electricity credit of €600 is another important Government measure which benefitted all households.
• A further range of measures were announced in February of this year. This package included a €200 lump sum payment which was paid to over 1.3 million recipients in receipt of long-term social welfare payments, including pensioners.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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363. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which she is aware of the ongoing needs of people dependent on fixed salaries or payments in the face of cost-of-living increases; whether she can envisage the situation whereby urgent needs can be met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41568/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government is acutely aware of recent cost of living increases and their impact on low income households and those fixed salaries or payments. In response to the on-going cost-of-living pressures, Budget 2023, saw the largest Social Protection package in the history of the state at a total of €2.1 billion. Some €1.1billion of this package was targeted to provide a wide range of lump-sum payments and provided for a wide range of assistance to alleviate the cost of living pressures.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department can 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 client’s own resources and 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.

This support is not restricted to those already on a social welfare payment and may also be available to those working on a low income.

Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to Supplementary Welfare Allowance 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 via www.mywelfare.ie

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.