Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2022
468. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will reconsider the qualifying criteria for the fuel allowance in cases in which a person who is in receipt of a qualifying payment will not get fuel allowance if their spouse or partner is in receipt of a social welfare payment that is not one of the qualifying payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53250/22]
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, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household.
The criteria for fuel allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. To qualify for the fuel allowance payment, a person must satisfy all the qualifying criteria including the household composition criteria. This ensures that the fuel allowance payment goes to those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own.
To satisfy the household composition criteria an applicant may live alone or only with:
- a qualified spouse / civil partner / cohabitant or qualified child(ren); (if the qualified spouse is in receipt of half rate carers, in addition to the IQA payment, they may qualify for fuel allowance, subject to a means test); or
- a person in receipt of a qualifying payment who would be entitled to the allowance in their own right or
- a person who is in receipt of carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit in respect of providing full-time care and attention to the fuel allowance applicant or their qualified spouse / civil partner / cohabitant or qualified child(ren) or
- a person receiving short-term jobseeker's allowance (JA) or basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) - i.e., less than 312 days for JA and less than 12 months/ 364 days for SWA).
Fuel allowance is not payable if an applicant lives with any person, including a family member, that is not covered by the criteria outlined.
Any decision to extend the qualifying criteria for fuel allowance in the manner outlined by the Deputy would change the targeted nature of the scheme 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.
