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Social Welfare Eligibility

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 April 2022

Tuesday, 26 April 2022

Questions (1037, 1086)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

1037. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of additional persons who would qualify for the fuel allowance if illness benefit were an eligible payment; the cost for the 2022–2023 fuel season; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20236/22]

View answer

Cathal Crowe

Question:

1086. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will amend the qualifying criteria for fuel allowance payments in order that those in receipt of illness benefit also receive them in view of spiralling fuel costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20934/22]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1037 and 1086 together.

The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. The purpose of this payment is to assist qualifying 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.

Taking account of the fact that the fuel allowance is a household based payment and that qualification is not just based on the means test but on a number of other complex qualifying criteria such as household composition, it is not possible for my Department to provide an accurate projection of the potential cost of the measure outlined by the Deputies or the additional number of persons who would qualify for the fuel allowance payment.

Qualifying payments for Fuel Allowance are those payments that are considered long term payments and an applicant must also satisfy a means test. People on long term payments are unlikely to have additional resources of their own and are more vulnerable to poverty, including energy poverty. It is for this reason that the Department allocates additional payments, supports and resources to help this cohort of claimants.

In the majority of cases, Illness Benefit is a short-term payment for those who are certified by their GP as needing to take time out from their employment due to illness, and accordingly is not a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance.

People who are permanently incapable of work may be eligible for the non-means-tested Invalidity Pension, subject to satisfying the relevant social insurance and medical criteria. Those who are substantially restricted in undertaking suitable employment arising from a medical condition may be eligible for the means-tested Disability Allowance, subject to meeting the relevant medical criteria. Recipients of both of these payments, subject to satisfying all qualifying conditions, may be eligible for Fuel Allowance.

Any decision to allow those in receipt of a short-term payment such as Illness Benefit to receive the fuel allowance payment would represent a fundamental change to the nature of the scheme and would inevitably lead to pressure for other short-term schemes to be considered as qualifying payments for the Fuel Allowance. As such, it would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance 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.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.

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