Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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160. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the average processing time for an urgent needs payment in Cork. [50774/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments (ANPs) to help meet a necessary expense that an eligible person cannot pay from their weekly income, personal and/or household resources. An ANP is an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments. The ANP scheme is demand led and administered by Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) in the Community Welfare Service (CWS), 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.

It is important to note that, where my officials are aware that a client has an urgent or immediate need, every effort is made to ensure that the person customer in question receives a prompt service, usually on the same day.

When considering an application from people in financial difficulty for any payment under the SWA scheme, the CWO must consider all of the relevant circumstances when examining a case in determining the most appropriate scheme type and level of assistance required. The CWO may ask for a number of supporting documents to ensure the customer receives a level of payment appropriate to their needs.

Where an application is complete and accompanied by the required documentation, it is generally processed in ten working days. However, where an application is not finalised within this timeframe, the delay is generally due to additional information or documentation being requested from the person to support their application.

The CWS is committed to providing a quality service to all citizens, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.