Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 January 2022
289. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to amend the eligibility criteria for the free fuel allowance scheme in a case in which the income of a person slightly exceeds the allowed threshold and the person has no savings. [3975/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 over a full fuel season) from October to April, to 375,000 low-income households, at an estimated cost of €323 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.
In Budget 2022 the Government increased the weekly means threshold for the fuel allowance scheme by €20 to €120 above the appropriate rate of contributory State pension representing a 20% increase in the threshold which enables more people to qualify for this support. The €120 allowable means limit is significantly more than the €33 weekly rate of fuel allowance.
Further changes to the fuel allowance scheme in Budget 2022 included increasing the weekly rate of fuel allowance by €5 to €33 per week, with immediate effect and with effect from September 2022 the reduction of the qualifying period for Jobseeker’s and Supplementary Welfare Allowance recipients from 15 to 12 months.
The Government has, therefore, implemented significant improvements through Budget 2022. Any proposal to further increase the allowable means for fuel allowance purposes or any further changes to the eligibility criteria would have to be considered in this context and in the context of the overall policy and budgetary situation.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
