Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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1387. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the details of the assessment guidelines for exceptional needs payment issued by community welfare officers, specifically in relation to income and savings; the details of the levels of discretion to each deciding officer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18621/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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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. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements.

Decisions on Additional Needs 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.

The decision process for Additional Needs Payments involves consideration of the need presented and the ability of the person and their household to meet that need. This entails an assessment, as opposed to a specific means test, of an applicant’s weekly household income, their savings and investments, their outgoings and the type of assistance needed. Alternative sources of support availed of by the person, including other State supports that may already be available to the person are also considered.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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1388. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the travel payment received by a cohort of HSE-employed home carers, which sees their working hours increased by one hour for every 60 km travelled, is treated as legitimate working hours when determining eligibility for carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18652/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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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.

A primary qualifying condition for CA is that the applicant provides full-time care and attention to a person in need of such a level of care. The person being cared for must be so incapacitated as to require full-time care and attention and be likely to require this full-time care and attention for at least 12 months. The time spent providing care must not be less than 35 hours per week.

However, in order to support a carer’s continued attachment to the workforce and to support broader social inclusion, carers may engage in some limited employment, including self-employment, education or training, of up to 18.5 hours per week, while still being regarded as being in a position to provide full-time care and continue to receive their full payment.

Both the full-time care and attention requirement and the 18.5-hour limitation are contained in the respective legislative provisions of the Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and Carer’s Support Grant schemes.

The 18.5 hour limitation represents a reasonable balance between meeting the requirement for providing full-time care for the care recipient and the needs of the carer to engage in education, training or employment, thereby supporting a carer’s continued attachment to the workforce and broader social inclusion. The number of working hours and the duties undertaken during that time are a matter for the employer.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.