Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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203. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding fuel allowance entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2609/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The fuel allowance is a payment of €20 to low income households to assist them with their energy costs. The allowance is paid for 26 weeks from October to April. The payment represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.

The allowance is paid to approximately 415,000 customers at an estimated cost of €208 million in 2014. This includes people in receipt of job-seekers allowance or basic supplementary welfare allowance for more than 15 months (390 days).

The fuel allowance is a means tested payment, targeted at those who are more vulnerable to energy poverty, including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own. Short term payments such as jobseeker’s benefit are not means tested payments and therefore do not qualify for the fuel allowance.