Claire Kerrane
Ceist:294. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of including the working family payment as a qualifying payment for the fuel allowance. [25470/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 19 May 2022
Ceisteanna (294)
Freagraí scríofa
The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. The purpose of this payment is to assist qualifying 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.
Fuel Allowance is a household payment and the circumstances and income of any other member of the household will be taken into account when deciding a Fuel Allowance application. Accordingly, it is very difficult to provide an accurate estimate for the proposed measure. However, it would be expected that it would cost in the region of an estimated €22.4 million in a full year.
The Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly, tax-free payment available to employees with children. It gives extra financial support to families with children with rates depending on their incomes and family size. It is not considered a long-term Social Protection payment and recipients are in full time employment and are more likely to have additional resources. A person in receipt of the WFP can continue to receive the payment for 52 weeks even if their income increases.