Exceptional Needs Payments (SWA)
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
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 (CWS) 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 .
Application Form: Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA1)
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.
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