Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 October 2022
125. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the anomaly in cases in which a social welfare recipient, who would otherwise qualify for the fuel allowance, is deemed illegible because they are renting a room in a house in which non-qualifying persons live with whom they have no relationship; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53754/22]
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 allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. Only one allowance is paid per household.
Fuel Allowance is a household payment and the status and means of all members of the household are taken into consideration when deciding entitlement. To qualify for the fuel allowance payment a person must satisfy the household composition criteria.
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 non-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.
