Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 January 2011
336 Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if he would make arrangements in order that persons who switch from jobseeker’s allowance, including the fuel scheme, to illness benefit will not lose their entitlement to the fuel scheme when there is otherwise no break in their claim. [2439/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department assists social welfare recipients with heating costs, through their basic payments, through the fuel allowance scheme and through the household benefits package of electricity and gas allowances.
The national fuel allowance scheme assists householders on long-term social welfare or health service executive payments with meeting the additional cost of their heating needs during the winter season. The allowance represents a contribution towards a person's heating expenses. It is not intended to meet those costs in full and must be seen in the context of the overall level of income available to the family. People in receipt of short-term social welfare payments such as jobseeker's benefit, short-term jobseeker's assistance (i.e. less than 13 weeks), illness benefit or occupational injuries benefit are not normally eligible to receive a fuel allowance. As such, where a person transfers from long term jobseeker's allowance with a fuel allowance to illness benefit they will lose their entitlement to the fuel allowance.
Any changes to the fuel allowance scheme, such as extending eligibility to people on short-term social welfare schemes, would have significant cost implications and would have to be considered in a budgetary context and in the light of resources available.
I would point out to the Deputy that there is a special arrangement in place to pay the smokeless fuel allowance element (€3.90 per week) to people who live in one of the designated urban smokeless fuel areas and who have been receiving either jobseeker's benefit, jobseeker's allowance or illness benefit for 13 weeks or more.
