Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2023
826. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who applied for the fuel allowance from October 2022 to February 2023; the number of those applications that were granted; the number that were refused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13085/23]
View answerThe 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 instalments. Only one Fuel Allowance is payable per household. Those who qualify for the payment do not need to reapply annually.
The Department generally collates data on an annual basis. As of the end of December 2021, the Fuel Allowance scheme supported approximately 375,000 households. By the end of 2022, the number of households supported had increased to almost 394,000. It should be noted that the number of recipients fluctuates as people join and exit the scheme, as their circumstances change.
The Fuel Allowance is paid, in conjunction with primary social welfare schemes, across a number of IT systems with differing functionality for recording processing activity, and consequently precise information on approved and disallowed applications is not available. As the Department upgrades these systems, it is expected that this data will become available in the future.
As a result of the new measures introduced as part of Budget 2023, effective from January 2023, particularly for those aged 70 and over, my Department has seen an increase in applications for the Fuel Allowance. Additional resources were assigned to process these applications and a telephone service is in place to support customers. There is a more streamlined process in place for applicants aged 70 and over. A new online Fuel Allowance application service was made available from 5 December 2022, which makes it easier and quicker for customers to apply for the payment at a time and place that suits them. A short over 70s paper application form is also available to download from the Government website, gov.ie or by contacting the Sligo Fuel Allowance phone service.
Where an application for fuel allowance is awarded, it will be back-dated as appropriate and there will be no loss in payment to the qualified households concerned.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, discretionary payments can be made to help people with the cost of heating their homes. A Heating Supplement may be paid to assist people with exceptional heating costs due to ill health or infirmity who cannot meet those costs. My Department also provides discretionary Additional Needs Payments to people who face difficulties in meeting their fuel bills.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
