Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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161. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will permit recipients of carer's benefit to receive the household benefit package; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34738/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The household benefits package comprises the electricity/gas allowance (€35 per month) and the free television licence scheme (€160 per annum). From 2015 it will also include a quarterly water support payment of €25. The household benefits package is paid to some 411,000 customers, with expenditure estimated at €230 million for 2014.

The household benefits package was envisaged as a way of providing some additional support for those who are elderly or on long-term welfare payments.

As carer’s benefit is not a long-term scheme, household benefits are not payable. I am not in a position to consider extending the household benefits scheme beyond the current group of qualifying payments.