Vol. 424 No. 9
175 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social Welfare if UK retirement pensioners, such as a person (details supplied) in County Wexford, are eligible under the national free fuel scheme; if not, if this will be reconsidered in view of the recent Sterling devaluation which has lowered the income of such pensioners.
A United Kingdom retirement pensioner may qualify for a Fuel Allowance on the same conditions as apply to other pensioners. One of these conditions is that the person and members of their household have a combined income of not more than £5 a week above the appropriate maximum Irish Contributory Pension rate.
For means assessment purposes, the Sterling/Punt exchange rate used is the average of the daily exchange rates in the first month of the previous quarter. The Sterling/Punt exchange rate currently in use by my Department represents the average of the daily Sterling/Punt exchange rates for the month of July 1992. The rate to be used for new claims in the first quarter of 1993 will be the average of exchange rates prevailing in the month of October 1992.
It is not clear if the current exchange rates between sterling and the Irish Punt are a temporary phenomena or are likely to continue in the medium to long term.
The matter in so far as it pertains to Social Welfare payments, including our methodology in calculating the average exchange rate, is being kept under review.
An application form for a fuel allowance will be forwarded to the person in question who should forward it on completion, to the Pension Services Office, College Road, in Sligo where his application will be considered.
