Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 294: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be approved the living alone allowance and the fuel allowance. [30696/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Living alone allowance and fuel allowance are payable, subject to certain eligibility conditions, to individuals who are living alone, or living with certain excepted persons, and who are in receipt of: a qualifying payment from the Department of Social Protection, the Health Service Executive or the Department of Defence or a qualifying social security payment from another EU country or a country with which Ireland has a bilateral Social Security Agreement.

The person concerned is a beneficiary of an increase for qualified adult on her spouse's State pension (contributory). As she is not in receipt of a qualifying payment in her own right, she is not eligible to receive either living alone allowance or fuel allowance.

A claim for fuel allowance received from the person concerned was disallowed on 21st April 2010. The Department has no record of receiving a claim for living alone allowance.

It is noted that this person's spouse is in receipt of a qualifying payment for fuel allowance. If her spouse wishes, he may submit an application for fuel allowance, and he will be notified of the outcome of a decision on his entitlement in due course.