John Drennan: State forking out for vast range of 'exceptional needs'
Despite the cutting of the social welfare allowance for a Communion dress from €300 to €110, figures secured by the Sunday Independent reveal that the department of social Welfare will still supply exceptional needs payments (ENP) for an astonishing range of needs.
These include aid for the purchase of small items such as kettles, lost and stolen money, rent deposits and furniture.
Last year the department paid out €5.171m in funeral expenses on top of the €13m under the PRSI-based bereavement grant.
A senior source did, however, note that outwardly surprising purchases such as kettles did deal with genuine cases of destitution such as furnishing houses of young men who had to leave their homes because of parental drug abuse.
The department is, however, poised to crack down on the scenario where tenants have been able to apply for exceptional needs payments "to assist them in furnishing'' newly acquired properties.
Last year, a total of 7,769 "kit outs" were paid at a cost of €8.9m.
One source told the Sunday Independent that the situation where welfare recipients are heard boasting about how "I got my bathroom/ kitchen retiled by the social'' is sparking real unhappiness amongst taxpayers.
Under proposals being considered, such "kit outs'' in rented accommodation will be the responsibility of the landlord and "aid towards the cost of furnishing houses should only be considered where the accommodation is either built or purchased by a local authority".
EXPENDITURE ON EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS PAYMENTS 2011
- JOHN DRENNAN
Originally published in
