Community Welfare Officer

 

The Community Welfare Officer is available on Tuesday Mornings in the Little Island Community Centre. Please be there by 9.50 a.m. if you would like to speak to the CWO. What is a Community Welfare Officer? Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) are responsible for the day to day administration of Community Welfare Services. Community Welfare Services include schemes such as the Supplementary Welfare Allowance, medical cards, the Infectious Diseases Maintenance Allowance, Nursing Home Subventions and the Mobility Allowance. What is the Role of Community Welfare Officers (CWOs)? The majority of the work carried out by Community Welfare Officers is the administration of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme. This scheme is funded and legislated for by the Department of Social and Family Affairs and administered by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The types of payments made under this scheme include: weekly Supplementary Welfare Allowance, rent supplement, Mortgage Interest Supplement, Diet and Heating Supplements, Back to School Clothing and Footwear Scheme and exceptional needs payments for items such as buggies, clothing, etc. The Community Welfare Officer is responsible for assessing the income of a person applying for payments under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme. This assessment may involve home visits to verify a person's place of residence for Rent Supplement purposes or simply to interview someone in surroundings that are more comfortable if he or she has special needs or is unable to visit his or her local health centre in person. The Community Welfare Officer will actively refer individuals to other state agencies and/or voluntary organisations if these are appropriate to the client's needs. For example, the Community Welfare Officers may refer you to the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) or the Department of Social and Family Affairs. In some areas (particularly rural areas), CWOs will also deal with applications relating to medical cards and Nursing Home Subventions. In urban areas such as Dublin, Cork or Galway, there are specific sections within the HSE that deal with these and other schemes.