Crosscare Irish Diaspora Support Project was pleased to take part in the Department of Social Protection’s 2027 Pre-Budget Forum, held at Chartered Accountants House, Dublin, on Wednesday 1 July 2027. Our Policy and Networks Officer, Nadeen Yousef, represented Crosscare and participated in the Supporting Families and Children workshop, one of several breakout sessions designed to explore key areas of social protection.
This forum offers a unique opportunity for NGOs, trade unions, and business and community representatives to engage directly with senior officials and the Minister, and to present their priorities ahead of the national Budget. This year’s event brought together a total of 58 organisations from across Ireland.
Crosscare’s contribution drew on its day-to-day work supporting people experiencing homelessness, poverty, and crisis, and focused on practical areas where existing mechanisms within the social protection system could be applied more consistently and effectively, particularly under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme.
Greater consistency in discretionary decision-making
As part of our submission, we emphasised the importance of consistent and confident use of discretion within the Community Welfare Service, particularly through Additional Needs Payments (ANPs) and Article 38 SWA supplements.
These mechanisms are already designed as flexible supports within the SWA scheme, but that greater consistency in application and awareness among decision-makers could improve access for people in urgent or exceptional need. Continued investment in staff support and skills development is vital, including around identifying vulnerability at an early stage, particularly where individuals may not be in a position to clearly articulate their circumstances without advocacy support.
ANPs are an example where discretionary powers could be utilised to greater effect. Although legislation provides for single rather than “once-off” payments, this flexibility is not always reflected in practice. ANPs are a definitive expression of SWA’s safety net and that Community Welfare Officers should be supported to exercise their discretion confidently.
Improving Awareness and Accessibility of Existing Supports
We highlighted the importance of clearer and more visible information on SWA supports, particularly Article 38 provisions, which can play an important role in preventing hardship and responding to urgent needs.
We noted that in practice, awareness of Article 38 supports can be limited, despite their flexibility in addressing a range of needs including heating costs, travel in cases of illness, and homelessness prevention.
It pointed to the value of ensuring that both customers and frontline staff have a clearer understanding of the full range of supports available under the SWA scheme and recommended adding an information on Article 38 on the Department’s website in a manner comparable to that provided for ANPs.
Embedding a More Holistic, Person-Centred Approach to Social Protection
We further emphasised the importance of looking beyond the immediate presenting issue when assessing need. A more holistic approach at first contact, as opposed to a thematic one, can help identify underlying vulnerabilities earlier and ensure the right support is considered.
This includes improving initial assessments (e.g., carry out health-checks), strengthening referral pathways between services, and ensuring that decision-making is guided by the lived realities of individuals rather than narrow administrative criteria.
For example, a person may present with one immediate financial need, but a broader conversation could identify additional circumstances, such as a risk of homelessness or domestic violence, ensuring the most appropriate supports are considered from the outset.
Participation in the Forum
At the Forum, we shared these priorities with departmental officials and other stakeholders, drawing directly on examples from Crosscare’s Homeless, Housing and Welfare Information Service, and advocacy work.
The discussion provided an opportunity to reflect on how existing SWA mechanisms, particularly ANPs and Article 38 supports, could be used more consistently and effectively to respond to urgent need within the current framework.
Overall, our contribution focused on practical, implementable steps within existing schemes that could improve access and outcomes for people seeking support.
Learn more about our advocacy and policy work at: https://diasporasupport.ie/knowledge-hub/policy-and-research/
