The effect of the improvement in the free electricity allowance scheme which I announced in this year's budget is to ensure that all applicants aged over 75 are treated in precisely the same way in so far as eligibility for the allowance is concerned. It does not, however, extend eligibility for the allowance to all people aged over 75.
In order to qualify for the allowance, applicants must normally be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment or, in the case of persons aged over 66 who are not in receipt of such a qualifying payment, satisfy a means test; be a registered consumer of electricity on the normal ESB supply; and be living alone or only with certain excepted persons.
Certain concessions have been introduced in recent years for people aged over 75 in regard to the household composition rule. People over that age who are already in receipt of the allowance may retain it regardless of who resides with them. People over age 75, who previously held the allowance, can requalify for it regardless of who is residing with them. These concessions did not cover the position of new applicants aged 75 or over, who were obliged to satisfy the standard and more rigorous household composition rule in order to qualify for the allowance.