Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 July 2022
361. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that persons must wait for 12 months from when they receive the jobseeker’s payment to qualify for fuel allowance given that these persons are at risk of fuel poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38399/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, which is supporting over 370,000 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.
Qualifying payments for Fuel Allowance are those payments that are considered long term payments and an applicant must also satisfy a means test. People on long term payments are unlikely to have additional resources of their own and are more vulnerable to poverty, including energy poverty. It is for this reason that the Department allocates additional payments, supports and resources to help this cohort of claimants.
Any decision to extend the eligibility criteria for Fuel Allowance to include people in receipt of short-term benefit schemes or people in receipt of short-term jobseeker's allowance would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
This year, funds raised through the carbon tax will again support targeted social welfare and other initiatives to alleviate fuel poverty and ensure a just transition. In this regard, in the forthcoming budget, the Government will consider how it can support people on low incomes and those on social welfare payments.
Finally, the Department of Social Protection provides Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
