Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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223. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an exceptional needs payment might be considered in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23510/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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There is a range of supports provided by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme. These supports can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single Additional Needs Payments (ANPs).

The Department may make an ANP to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) and Urgent Needs Payments (UNPs), and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from a person’s own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary. ANPs are administered by Designated Persons (DP) in the Community Welfare Service considering the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case.

Departmental records show that the person concerned has not made an application for assistance under the SWA scheme. If the person is experiencing financial difficulties, they can apply for assistance by completing a SWA1 form and providing all relevant documents in support of their application. For convenience, an application pack has been posted to the person concerned. On receipt of a completed application form and supporting documentation, the claim will be assessed, and the person will be advised of the outcome in writing. Alternatively, if the person concerned has a verified MyGovID account they can apply for an ANP at www.MyWelfare.ie.

Further information on all of my Department’s schemes and payments is available at www.gov.ie.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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224. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a carer’s support grant will be paid in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23517/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) is an annual payment made to full-time carers who satisfy certain conditions.

The person claiming the CSG must:

• Be aged 16 or over and ordinarily resident in this State
• Care for the person on a full-time basis
• Care for the person for a continuous period of at least six months – this period must include the first Thursday in June (1st June 2023)
• Live with the person being looked after, or this person can be contacted quickly by a direct system of communication (i.e., a telephone or alarm)
• Not be employed / self-employed for more than 18.5 hours per week
• Not be in receipt of, or entitled to receive Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit or be signing for credited contributions

• Be so incapacitated as to need full-time care and attention
• Not normally live in a hospital, convalescent home, or another similar institution
• Not receive full-time care and attention within their own home from another person other than the person claiming the Grant

An information request issued to the person concerned on 8 April 2024.

As the person concerned did not submit all of the requested information, their entitlement to CSG could not be determined and the application was disallowed.

The person concerned was notified on 16 May 2024 of this decision, the reason for it and of his right of review and appeal.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.