Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 April 2022
139. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will extend the fuel allowance in order that the presence of a person receiving community employment payments after a period of long-term unemployment would not serve to disqualify a pensioner who would otherwise qualify for the scheme. [18582/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, which is supporting up to an estimated 400,000 households in 2022, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. 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.
A person who moves to a community employment scheme (CE scheme) who immediately prior to commencing the CE scheme was in receipt of a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance will not prevent an otherwise qualified household from receiving the Fuel Allowance payment.
If the CE scheme participant had no entitlement to Fuel Allowance in their own right but was in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment, short-term Jobseeker’s Allowance or Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance immediately prior to commencing the CE scheme, this will also not prevent a household from qualifying for Fuel Allowance.
Any decision to allow a household to qualify for Fuel Allowance when a person who moves to a CE scheme was previously in receipt of a non-qualifying or disregarded payment for Fuel Allowance would have cost implications and could only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
