Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

206. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of exceptional needs payment applications made in the years 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025, per county, in tabular form. [8548/25]

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

207. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of exceptional needs payment applications rejected in the years 2020 to 2024 and to date 2025, per county, in tabular form. [8549/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 206 and 207 together.

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. This is an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments, and certain supplements.

The statistical reporting was revised in 2022 to include reoccurring supplements in the overarching term of an Additional Needs Payment. Statistics on the number of Additional Needs Payments applications disallowed are not available for 2020-2021.

Table 1 shows the number of additional needs payments made and disallowed by county for 2022-2024. As statistics are prepared and published on a quarterly basis, 2025 figures are not available at this time.

Any person who considers 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.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Tabular Statement