Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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507.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of exceptional needs payments made to persons or families in other than bereavement circumstances in each of the past three years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25594/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents.

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 or other personal and household resources. Additional Needs Payments are an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments, and certain other Supplements available to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from a person’s own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary.

Table 1 shows the number of Additional Needs Payments, other than the Funeral Category and ongoing supplements, yearly, from 2022 to end of Q1 2024.

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.

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 via www.mywelfare.ie.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Table 1 – Additional Needs Payments other than the Funeral Category and ongoing supplements, yearly, from 2022 to end of Q1 2024.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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508.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which any backlogs have been addressed in respect of various headings and payments operated by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25595/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department understands the many pressures faced by customers and always seeks to ensure that claims are handled quickly and efficiently.

The Deputy will appreciate how processing times can vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. Schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of illness-related schemes, can take longer to process. Similarly, means-tested payments can also require more detailed investigations and interaction with the customer, thereby lengthening the decision-making process.

My Department has introduced a wide range of initiatives aimed at streamlining the processing of claims, supported by modern technology in recent years. Operational processes, procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that processing capability is maximised.

In addition, the staffing needs of my Department are regularly reviewed, having regard to workloads and the competing demands arising, to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources.

I am pleased to report that claim processing is up to date, with processing targets met, or exceeded, on average, for all the main scheme areas.

The table below gives the average weeks to award for all main schemes as of April 2024.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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509.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications made for domiciliary care allowance in each of the past three years to date; the number granted; the number refused; the number granted following appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25596/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and where the level of that disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months.

The following table sets out the number of applications made for Domiciliary Care Allowance in each of the past 3 years to date; the number granted/ allowed; the number refused/ disallowed; including the number granted/ allowed following appeal;

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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510.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications made for carer’s allowance in each of the past three years to date; the number granted; the number refused; the number granted following appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25597/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that, as a result, they require that level of care.

In order to qualify, applicants must show that they are habitually resident in the State, that their means are less than the statutory limit, that they are providing full-time care and attention, and that the person being cared for requires that level of care.

The tables below shows the number of CA applications received, awarded and disallowed for the past three years.

Where an applicant's CA claim is initially disallowed, they have the option to request a review of this decision. This allows the applicant to present additional documentation / evidence where this is available. Considering the new evidence, it is possible that the initial decision could be overturned by a Deciding Officer (DO). This review process ensures that every applicant receives a fair evaluation of their circumstances, acknowledging that their circumstances or the circumstance of the care recipient may not have been fully captured at the initial application stage.

If an applicant is dissatisfied with the outcome of their review, they have the option to refer the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).

The table below shows the number of CA appeals allowed or partially allowed by the SWAO for the past three years.

There are a number of reasons why a decision that was refused at first instance might be successful on appeal and it is not necessarily the case that the first decision was incorrect. It is often the case that new evidence is provided with an appeal and that, as a result, the original decision may be revised by the DO.

Where the decision was not revised by the Department in light of the appeal contentions, further evidence is often provided by the appellant as the appeal process proceeds.

I hope this information is of assistance to the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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511.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications made for disability allowance in each of the past three years to date; the number granted; the number refused; the number granted following appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25598/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions.

During 2023, the Department received over 28,700 new applications for DA and awarded over 16,400 claims.

Where an applicant's DA claim is initially disallowed, they have the option to request a review of this decision. This process allows the applicant to present additional medical evidence that may substantiate their claim by demonstrating the extent of their disability or illness and its impact on their ability to work.

Considering the new evidence, it is possible that the initial decision could be overturned by a deciding officer. This review process ensures that every applicant receives a fair evaluation of their circumstances, acknowledging that their health conditions may not have been fully captured at their initial application stage.

If an applicant is dissatisfied with the outcome of their review, they have the option to refer the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.

The table below shows the number of DA claims received and awarded in the periods as requested:

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.