Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 February 2023
401. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that a person (details supplied) had their fuel allowance payment stopped, without prior notification, once their dependent student turned 22 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6808/23]
View answerThe Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) is paid from late September to April to assist households with their energy costs.
Under the current qualifying conditions for fuel allowance a person must satisfy all the qualifying criteria including the household composition criteria. Fuel allowance is not payable if an applicant lives with any person, including a family member that is not covered by the household composition criteria outlined below.
- a qualified spouse / civil partner / cohabitant or qualified child(ren); (if the qualified spouse is in receipt of half rate carers, in addition to the IQA payment, they may qualify for fuel allowance, subject to a means test) or
- a person in receipt of a qualifying payment who would be entitled to the allowance in their own right or
- a person who is in receipt of carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit in respect of providing full-time care and attention to the fuel allowance applicant or their qualified spouse / civil partner / cohabitant or qualified child(ren) or
- a person receiving short-term jobseeker's allowance (JA) or basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) - i.e., less than 391 days for JA and less than 15 months/456 days for SWA).
The person concerned currently qualifies for a Jobseeker’s Transitional (JST) payment which is a special arrangement under the Jobseeker’s Allowance scheme that aims to support lone parents into the workforce while they have young children.
This payment is available to people who are not cohabiting and whose youngest child is aged between 7 and 13 years inclusive.
The customer's fuel allowance payment was stopped in error when her oldest child turned 22 as it was not understood that her child was continuing in full-time education. This error is regretted and the customer's fuel allowance has been re-instated and will be in her bank account this week.
I trust the above clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
