Colm Burke
Question:87. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports for pensioners announced in Budget 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50531/22]
View answerThursday, 13 October 2022
Questions (87)
Written answers
The Social Protection measures announced in Budget 2023 amounted to over €2.1 billion. This is the largest Social Protection Budget Day Package in the history of the State.
In order to ease the pressure and stress that many households are facing, I am bringing forward a series of exceptional lump sum payments to support people. These include:A Cost of Living Double Payment in October to all social protection recipients including Pensioners, Carers & People with Disabilities.
- A €400 lump sum payment to all households in receipt of Fuel Allowance, many of whom are pensioners, to be paid in November.
- An additional €200 Lump Sum Payment to all persons, many of whom are pensioners, in receipt of the Living Alone Allowance which will also be paid in November.
- In December, the Christmas Bonus Double Payment will be paid to all Pensioners, Carers, Persons with Disabilities, One Parent Family Payment and other Social Protection recipients.
As we turn to 2023, I announced a €12 euro increase in weekly rates of payment for pensioners and people of working age to take effect from January 2023. This measure alone will cost almost €900 million euro. It is the largest budget increase in weekly payments since the mid-2000s.
I was very aware, when addressing my Budget priorities for 2023, that many families and older people fall just outside the qualifying criteria for Fuel Allowance and that this payment does not reach everybody. So, in Budget 2023, we focused on expanding the scheme to reach more households.
One of the reforms to the Fuel Allowance Scheme is that, from January 2023, a new means threshold will be introduced for people aged 70 years and over. The new means threshold will be €500 for a single person and €1,000 for a couple. This is a significant expansion of the means threshold for those aged 70 or over.
As part of this measure, those aged over 70 no longer have to be in receipt of a qualifying Social Welfare payment to access the Fuel Allowance payment. However, to qualify for the Fuel Allowance, they will still have to satisfy all other relevant qualifying criteria.
This reform seeks to ensure that older people not currently in receipt of Fuel Allowance, but who are marginally outside the thresholds, will now be covered by the scheme. This reform is being made as older people can often be more vulnerable to the effects of energy poverty.
It is expected that up to 64,000 new households may qualify for Fuel Allowance as a result of this measure alone.
Other measures announced by Government in Budget 2023 - such as three energy credits worth €600 in total - will also assist pensioners.I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.