Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 July 2022
108. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of the fuel allowance who have been removed from access to the allowance for exceeding the income thresholds in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38521/22]
View answer149. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applicants who were refused the fuel allowance in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38520/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 149 together.
The Fuel Allowance scheme is a means tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders with their winter heating costs. The payment is a contribution towards heating costs, it is not intended to meet these costs in full. The payment is made over the winter season at the weekly rate of €33.00 or, if preferred, by way of two lump sum payments. Only one Fuel Allowance is payable per household. Those who qualify for the payment do not need to reapply annually.
As at the end of December 2021, there were 374,861 Fuel Allowance recipients. At the end of 2020, the number of recipients was 375,269. Precise information on the number of fuel allowance applications received, disallowed, or where a customer lost their entitlement during the Fuel Allowance season, is not readily available. Common reasons for disallowance, or loss of entitlement, include cessation of the primary scheme payment; where the means of the customer or household exceeds the permissible threshold; the applicant resides with a non-qualified person (for example, someone in employment); or the applicant resides with another person who is already in receipt of fuel allowance. Where an application is disallowed or entitlement is lost, it is open to the person to re-apply if there is a change in their circumstances.
The Government is acutely aware of the increase in consumer prices in recent months, especially the increase in fuel and other energy prices. To help mitigate the effects of these rising costs, the Government announced additional expenditure measures of €505 million. As part of these measures, I announced two additional lump sum payments of €125 in March and €100 in May to households in receipt of the fuel allowance payment.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department operates schemes to help people with the cost of heating their homes. A Heating Supplement may be paid to assist people in certain circumstances that have exceptional heating costs due to ill health, infirmity or a medical condition and are unable to meet those costs out of household income. An Emergency Needs Payment may be made to help a person meet an essential, once-off cost which they are unable to meet out of their own resources, including exceptional heating costs.
An ENP may also be payable to those not getting a social welfare payment and those on low incomes. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
