Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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155. To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 389 of 27 September 2016 if he will extend the eligibility criteria for fuel allowance to include disablement benefit; if he will discuss this with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in advance of budget 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28842/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 26 weeks from October to April to low income households at an estimated cost of €224 million in 2016. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance 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. This year’s Fuel Allowance season commenced on Monday 3^rdOctober.

The fuel allowance payment is 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. Disablement benefit is not included among those payments, as it is not means-tested and it can be paid to people in full time employment.

The appropriate levels of welfare support including eligibility for fuel allowance will be considered by the Government in the coming days, with due regard to the available resources. The outcome of this process will be announced on Budget Day.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.