Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Ceist:377. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of including carer's allowance as a qualifying payment for fuel allowance. [23953/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 18 May 2023
Ceisteanna (377)
Freagraí scríofa
The 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 €412 million in 2023. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.
Taking account of the fact that the Fuel Allowance is a household based payment and that qualification is not just based on receipt of a qualifying payment but on a number of other complex qualifying criteria such as household composition, it is not possible for my Department to provide an accurate projection of the cost of the measure suggested by the Deputy.
The Government values the role of carers in society and it is for this reason that they receive significant income supports from the Department. In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers receive additional support in the form of free travel and household benefits (for those who live with the person for whom they care) and the annual Carer's Support Grant (€1,850) in respect of each person for whom they care.
While Carer's Allowance is not a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance, a person in receipt of Carer's Allowance may avail of the Fuel Allowance payment in certain circumstances. Fuel Allowance is a household-based payment, and a carer will very often live with and care for a person in receipt of a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance. Income from Carer's Allowance is disregarded from the fuel means test if the carer is providing full time care and attention to the Fuel Allowance applicant, his/her qualified spouse/civil partner or cohabitant or qualified child(ren).
If a person is getting certain qualifying social welfare payments and also providing full time care and attention to another person, they can keep their main social protection payment in addition to receiving the half-rate Carer's Allowance. They can also receive an extra half-rate Carer’s Allowance if they care for more than one person. The amount of half-rate Carer’s Allowance received is now disregarded when assessing means for Fuel Allowance purposes.
Any decision to adjust the rules of Fuel Allowance to make Carer's Allowance a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance would have budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.