Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards the cost of their heating needs. It is a secondary payment, which increases the weekly rate of a primary payment.
The main eligibility conditions that apply to the fuel allowance scheme are that a person must -
- be in receipt of a qualifying payment, and
- satisfy a means test, and
- either be living alone, or living with their spouse/dependent children, or other persons with a qualifying payment.
Such qualifying payments do not include Social Insurance based payments that are classed as short-term payments (less than 12 months), e.g., Jobseeker's Benefit and Illness Benefit, which are not means tested payments.
If the Deputy has a particular case in mind he should provide the details to my officials who will examine it to ensure the person in question is claiming their full entitlements.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.