Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 October 2021
48. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if the income threshold for the fuel allowance for persons with disabilities can be raised in order to reflect the additional cost of living with a disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48671/21]
View answerThe 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. Any decision to raising the income threshold for fuel allowance for persons with disabilities would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.My Department does provide additional support to people with disabilities through the household benefits package (HHB). The HHB package comprises the electricity or gas allowance (€35 a month) and the free television licence. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years and over and is also available to people under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments including Disability Allowance and Invalidity Pension. Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, a heating supplement may be paid to assist people in certain circumstances that have special heating needs. If a recipient of a social protection or HSE payment has exceptional heating costs due to ill health, infirmity or a medical condition which he/she is unable to meet out of household income, that person may apply for a heating supplement. There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. Heating supplements are payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.Exceptional needs payments are also available under the SWA scheme. Exceptional needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.The Programme for Government commits the Government to use the research into the cost of disability to individuals and families to properly inform the direction of future policy. My Department commissioned Indecon International Consultants to carry out research into the cost of disability in Ireland. The report has been received and my Department is considering it in detail. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
