Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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1926. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason participants on community employment schemes are not allowed to draw down the fuel allowance in two lump-sum payments; the rationale for this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38920/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Fuel Allowance is a means tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. Fuel allowance is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household. Up until now fuel allowance was payable as a weekly payment only.

I recently announced that the Department’s fuel allowance customers would be given a choice to be paid in two lump sums, if they wished to have this option, rather than a weekly payment. This is being done initially on a trial basis for the upcoming fuel season. Recipients of the lump sum payment are in effect getting up front advances of payment on what would have been weekly payments for the duration of the fuel season. As it is a trial and as participants on Community Employment Schemes and the Rural Social Schemes (Tús and Gateway) are not paid directly by my Department, these customers are not being given the option of the lump sum payment this time round. The lump sum approach to payment of the fuel allowance will be fully reviewed at the end of this fuel season and the feasibility of extending the choice of payment frequency to these other cohorts of customers will be examined further at that stage.