Peadar Tóibín
Question:527. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of times that the fuel allowance has been increased or decreased in each of the past ten years. [34034/22]
View answerThursday, 14 July 2022
Questions (527)
Written answers
The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September 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.
There have been a number of changes to both the rate and duration of the fuel allowance payment over the last 10 years.
With regards to the duration of the fuel season, Budget 2012 reduced the fuel season from 32 weeks to 26 weeks. For the 2017/18 fuel season the duration was increased to 27 weeks and for the 2018/19 season the duration was increased to 28 weeks.
With regards to the weekly rate of fuel allowance payable, there has been no reduction in the rate payable in the last 10 years. From January 2016, the rate payable was increased from €20 to €22.50 per week. Further increases to the weekly rate payable occurred in January 2020 (€24.50), January 2021 (€28) and in October 2021 (€33).
A number of temporary changes were also made to the Fuel Allowance payment in response to emergency situations or severe weather conditions over the last 10 years. Due to severe weather conditions in 2013 and 2018, one additional week’s Fuel Allowance was paid in both these fuel seasons. The duration of the 2019/20 season was increased to 32 weeks as a once off measure in response to the Covid-19 Emergency and two additional lump sum payments of €125 and €100 were paid to Fuel Allowance recipients during the 2021/22 fuel season in response to the increased cost of living.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.