Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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198. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her views on the introduction of an increased rate of household benefits package for individuals with higher than average electricity bills resulting from the use of medical appliances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40430/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department will spend €230 million this year on the household benefits package for almost 415,000 customers. The fuel allowance, worth €520 per year, is paid for 26 weeks from October to April to almost 415,000 households at an estimated cost of €208 million in 2014.

The Government has already announced that from 2015 both the household benefits package and the fuel allowance will also include a water support payment with an annual value of €100. The estimated cost of this new water support payment of €100 per annum will be in the region of €66 million in 2015.

Under the Department’s supplementary welfare allowance scheme, a special heating supplement may be paid to assist people who have special heating needs. A person may qualify for a heating supplement, if they can show that they have extra heating needs and increased energy costs because of their age, medical condition or disability, are living alone or only with a dependent adult or dependent children and satisfy a means test. More than 1,900 people are currently in receipt of this supplement.

In addition, exceptional needs payments (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which an applicant is unable to meet out of his or her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is decided on the particular circumstances of the case. The provision for exceptional needs payments in 2014 is €31.3 million, with an additional €9.8 million for supplements.