Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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403. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if financial assistance is available for a person (details supplied) given the circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41287/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme which is the safety net within the overall social welfare system, helps eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single Additional Needs Payments (ANP)s. The basic SWA provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment or do not qualify for payment under other State schemes. The basic SWA schemes are subject to a means assessment and under basic SWA you must also satisfy the habitual residence condition.

According to the records of the Department, the person concerned applied for a basic SWA payment on 11/04/2024. A letter issued to the customer on the same day requesting additional documentation in support of her application. On receipt of this information, further information that is relevant to the claim was identified and was requested on 19/04/2024. The requested documents were not received, and the application was subsequently closed on 06/06/2024.

Departmental records show that the person concerned has not made a recent 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 .

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. The full list of qualifying conditions for DA can be found at .

I can confirm that the Department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 08/04/2024. Based on the evidence supplied in support of this application, the claim was disallowed on the grounds that the person concerned did not satisfy the habitual residence condition and also failed to supply sufficient information in order to determine their means.

The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 20/05/2024 and was also notified of their right to request a review of this decision or to appeal it to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).

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

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.