Jim O'Keeffe
Ceist:297 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the cost of extending the national fuel scheme to contributory old age pensioners who have additional income of up to £50 per week. [26660/98]
Written Answers. - National Fuel Scheme.
The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders who are on long-term social welfare or health board payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. A payment of £5 per week (£8 per week in smokeless zones) is paid to eligible households for 26 weeks from mid October to mid April.
It is estimated that some 3,300 additional contributory old age pensioners would qualify for a fuel allowance if the maximum amount of additional income which they are allowed to have and still qualify for fuel allowance was raised from £30 per week to £50 per week. This would cost approximately £0.6 million per annum.
Improvements in the national fuel scheme cannot be looked at in isolation from the improvements in the primary weekly payment rates. Substantial increases in all the social welfare primary payments of either £3 or £6 per week effective from June 1999 were announced in the recent budget.
I have also announced that the current income limit will be increased from £15 to £30 per week in addition to the maximum rate of the relevant contributory social welfare payment, with effect from the commencement of the next heating season in October 1999.