Vol. 436 No. 7
112 Mr. P.J. Sheehan asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will amend the regulation appertaining to the national fuel scheme whereby applicants who have an income in excess of £5 per week over and above their rate of pension or allowance are disqualified from benefitting under the scheme; and if he will raise the means test from £5 per week to £15 per week in view of the increase in coal prices during the past five years.
The national fuel scheme is intended to help households who are dependent on long term social welfare or health board payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs.
Under the scheme a person in receipt of a long term social welfare payment is regarded as being able to provide for his own heating needs if he or members of the household in which he resides have income of more than £5 per week in addition to their welfare payments.
The question of increasing the income limit of £5 would have financial implications and could be considered only in a budgetary context.
