This website uses cookies. Some cookies may have been set already. To find out more about our use of cookies you can visit our Privacy policy. By browsing this website, you agree to our use of cookies.
This is a prototype - your feedback will help us to improve it.
An Exceptional Needs Payment is a single payment to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.
For example, the payment can be for bedding or cooking utensils for someone setting up a home for the first time, visiting relatives in hospital or prison, funeral costs or for clothing in exceptional circumstances.
Exceptional Needs Payments are administered by the Community Welfare Service of the Department.
Eligible people would normally be in receipt of a social welfare or health service executive payment. However, there is no automatic entitlement to such payments.
ENPs are payable at the discretion of the CWS officer taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case.
You may be eligible for an Exceptional Needs Payment if:
You won't normally be eligible if you:
The amount of payment you get will depend on a means test and the type of assistance you need.
You should contact the Community Welfare Service at your local office
An application form is available to download here or from your local office
Claim Form for Supplementary Welfare Allowance/ Exceptional Needs Payment
DownloadTo help process your claim, you should have the following:
Operational guidelines describe the processes and procedures that staff in the department follow when carrying out their work.
Do not include any personal details in the box below. The information you submit will be analysed to improve the site and will not be responded to individually.
Max: [[ feedback_widget.data.text.length ]]/[[ feedback_widget.cfg.text.maxlength ]] characters
