Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
503. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of making the entitlement to fuel allowance automatic upon receipt of the State pension (contributory); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11054/22]
View answerThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 over a full fuel season) from October to April, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. It is estimated that up to 400,000 households will benefit from this payment in 2022. 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.
The criteria for fuel allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to the Department in as targeted a manner as possible. People who are in receipt of a qualifying contributory payment must also satisfy a means test. All non-contributory recipients are accepted as satisfying the means-test.
A fuel applicant and members of his/her household may have a combined assessable income of up to €120.00 a week above the appropriate rate of State Pension Contributory and qualify for a payment. Therefore, an elderly person who is solely dependent on Social Welfare payments would only be refused the fuel allowance on the grounds of income if s/he is in receipt of an additional payment from my Department at a rate in excess of the allowable €120.00 a week.
It might be remembered that more than half of those over 66 are solely dependent upon the State pension. The €120 a week means limit is significantly higher that the weekly fuel allowance rate of €33.00. Therefore, pensioners with a weekly income of €120 above the appropriate rate of State Pension Contributory will still be receiving a payment that is higher than those received by pensioners, dependent on just the State Pension and fuel allowance.
Any decision to disregard certain Social Welfare payments when assessing household means for fuel allowance purposes would have budgetary consequences and could only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and priorities and the availability of financial resources.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs Payments (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which an applicant is unable to meet out of his / her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is determined by a Deciding Officer based on the particular circumstances of the case.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
