State under fire as needs payments amount falls 60%

The union which represents the country’s community welfare officers has criticised a 60% drop in the amount paid out by the State in exceptional needs payments to those in financial difficulty.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme the Department of Social Protection makes exceptional needs payments (ENP) to help meet “essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income”.

According to Eugene Quinn, assistant general secretary with the Public Service Executive Union, in 2008 the State provided €80m for ENPs to support people in the greatest economic poverty. However, by 2015, this figure had declined to €29m.