Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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343. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of exceptions that may be made for the qualifying criteria for the fuel allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50301/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Some 410,000 customers will receive the fuel allowance of €20 per week for 26 weeks from October to April, at a cost of €223 million. The fuel allowance is paid to those in receipt of long-term jobseekers, one-parent family payment, disability allowance, invalidity pension and some people in receipt of the State pension. The allowance is subject to a means test and is paid only to those who live alone or with certain exempted people. These exempted people include; qualified adults, qualified children, people who have an entitlement to the allowance in their own right, the carer of the fuel allowance applicant or people in receipt of short-term jobseeker’s allowance. Full details on the criteria for the scheme are available on the Department’s website www.welfare.ie.

Deciding officers have no discretion to set aside the published qualifying criteria. All social welfare schemes, including the fuel allowance, are operated on the basis of publically available guidelines, which ensure fairness and consistency in determining eligibility.