Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Fuel allowance is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income. The reason jobseeker's benefit, illness benefit, enhanced illness benefit and maternity benefit are not qualifying payments for fuel allowance is that in the vast majority of cases they are short-term payments for those who suffer a short period of interruption to their employment. The payments are not means-tested and are based on a person’s PRSI record. The recipients still have an attachment to the labour force and there is an expectation that they will return to the workforce.

Death benefit and incapacity supplement, which are both paid under the occupational injury benefit scheme, are qualifying payments for fuel allowance. Disablement benefit is not a qualifying payment except in the case where a person is also in receipt of incapacity supplement. People in receipt of disablement benefit without another payment can work full time or part time and continue to receive the benefit payment. Disablement benefit can be paid at the same time as most other social welfare payments.

Following representations from other Deputies, I have committed to carrying out a review of the treatment of disablement benefit under the fuel allowance scheme where the person is on a qualifying payment for fuel allowance and is in receipt of disablement benefit at a rate less than the allowable means. Officials in my Department are working on this review. Any decision to extend the eligibility criteria for fuel allowance could only be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.

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