The Fuel Allowance Scheme is a means tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders towards their heating costs during the winter season.
The payment is made at the weekly rate of €28.00 over the winter season (28 weeks in the 2020/2021 fuel season) to over 372,000 low income households.
The numbers of Fuel Allowance recipients in Meath and Westmeath in each of the years 2016 to 2020 are set out in the table below.
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
Meath
|
8,377
|
8,649
|
8,955
|
9,405
|
9,632
|
Westmeath
|
5,747
|
5,789
|
6,050
|
6,393
|
6,548
|
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.