Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 July 2023
457. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for an additional needs payment in Cork, by reason, in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 to date, respectively, in tabular form. [34084/23]
View answerThe supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA) is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents.
Under the SWA scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments (ANPs) to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or from other personal and household resources. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements.
All of the relevant circumstances of the case are taken into consideration by an officer of the community welfare service when deciding the level of support required. The decision process involves consideration of the nature of the need presented and the ability of the person and their household to meet that need. This entails an assessment of an applicant’s weekly household income, their savings and investments, their outgoings and the type of assistance needed.
The reporting of this scheme was revised in 2022 to extract more complete information in relation to registrations and to include reoccurring supplements in the overarching term of an Additional Needs Payment. Statistics are not available on applications received for 2020 and 2021.
Statistics are now prepared and published on a quarterly basis for ANPs and the figures for Q2 of 2023 are not as yet available.
Table 1 shows the number of Additional Needs Payment applications registered in County Cork for 2022 and 2023 (to end of March).
Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to Supplementary Welfare Allowance 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. In addition, applications can be made online via www.mywelfare.ie.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Tabular Statement
TABLE 1 - Number of Additional Needs Payments registered by category in Co Cork in 2022 and to end of March 2023
|
Category |
2022 |
2023 (end of March) |
|
Bills |
461 |
151 |
|
Child Related |
170 |
46 |
|
Clothing |
4,696 |
925 |
|
Funeral |
387 |
143 |
|
General |
3,191 |
868 |
|
Housing |
2,659 |
711 |
|
Illness |
32 |
4 |
|
Urgent Needs Payment |
35 |
20 |
|
Other (Supplement) |
102 |
8 |
|
Total |
11,733 |
2,876 |
