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Social Welfare Eligibility

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 October 2021

Tuesday, 5 October 2021

Questions (425)

Christopher O'Sullivan

Question:

425. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will investigate the possibility of increasing the income limit for pensioners when considering the fuel allowance in the context of increasing energy costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48374/21]

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Written answers

The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to over 370,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.

My Department also pays an electricity or gas allowance under the household benefits scheme at an estimated cost of €195 million in 2021.

The criteria for fuel allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. All recipients of non-contributory payments are accepted as satisfying the means-test for fuel. People who are in receipt of a qualifying contributory payment must also satisfy a means test.

The €100 a week means limit is significantly higher that the weekly fuel allowance rate of €28.00 and also the combined weekly total of household benefits and fuel allowance added together (€39.15). It should be remembered that more than half of those over 66 years of age are solely dependent upon the State pension, and so a person with additional pension income above €100, is not amongst the cohort of more disadvantaged people that Fuel Allowance is targeted towards.

Any extension of the fuel allowance qualifying criteria, such as increasing the allowable means for fuel allowance purposes, can only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme a special heating supplement may be paid to assist people in certain circumstances. Exceptional needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which an applicant is unable to meet from his / her own resources.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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