Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 May 2022
310. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is considering any changes to the eligibility criteria for the award of the free fuel allowance for rural social scheme participants; if she will consider a means tested approach based on actual income together with the criteria of having been in receipt of the fuel allowance before going on the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21999/22]
View answerThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, which is currently supporting more than 372,000 households, at an estimated cost of €366 million 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 Fuel Allowance payment is targeted towards those who are more vulnerable to energy poverty, including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own.
If a participant on a Rural Social Scheme (RSS) was in receipt of Fuel Allowance prior to going on the scheme, they can continue to receive the Fuel Allowance payment while participating on the scheme once they continue to satisfy the qualifying conditions.
If the RSS participant was not in receipt of the Fuel Allowance payment prior to going on the RSS they may still apply for and qualify for Fuel Allowance in the following circumstances.
- If the RSS participant was in receipt of a long-term qualifying payment prior to going on the RSS this will allow them to satisfy the qualifying payment element. However, all other qualifying conditions of Fuel Allowance must also be satisfied.
- Where the RSS participant has an established underlying entitlement to Fuel Allowance but is not in receipt of the allowance because another member of the household was receiving the payment, it is open to the RSS participant to apply for fuel allowance if these circumstances change, e.g., where the fuel allowance recipient leaves the address.
Any decision to extend the eligibility criteria for Fuel Allowance in the manner outlined by the Deputy 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 Deputy.
