Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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1414. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there are plans to take rent and mortgage costs into account when a person is applying for supplementary welfare allowance weekly payment as not allowing for same is placing people in financial hardship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19263/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance 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. It is a means tested payment and takes account of the income a person or couple has in terms of cash, property - other than the family home - and capital. It does not take account of a person’s expenditure.

Introducing a rent or mortgage disregard for means testing would have significant budgetary implications and would give rise to inconsistencies in how means tests are applied across schemes. It would also significantly increase the complexity of the means assessment. Any changes in this regard would have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context.

There will always be exceptional cases, and it is for this reason that 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 entails an assessment, as opposed to a specific means test, of an applicant’s weekly household income, their savings and investments, their outgoings including rent and mortgage costs, and the type of assistance needed.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.