Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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228. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason persons (details supplied) are not entitled to the fuel allowance; her plans to change same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40367/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 27 weeks (a total of €607.50 each year) from October to April, to over 368,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €227 million in 2018. 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. My Department also pays an electricity or gas allowance at an estimated cost of €182 million in 2018.

Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment for a child aged under 16 with a severe disability, who requires ongoing care and attention, substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. It is not means tested. DCA is not a primary Social Protection payment and people in receipt of DCA can be in full time employment. Therefore DCA itself is not a qualifying payment for fuel allowance. However, income from DCA is disregarded for the purpose of calculating entitlement to fuel allowance and does not prevent a person in receipt of a qualifying payment from receiving fuel allowance.

Carers allowance and carers benefit are not qualifying payments for fuel allowance in their own right. However, where a person is in receipt of carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit in respect of a caree who is in receipt of a qualifying payment such as Disability Allowance or a State pension - or their spouse/partner/child - it does not preclude one of them from receiving a fuel allowance in respect of that household, and the income from the carers payment is disregarded for means test purposes.

The Government values the role of carers very much and it is for this reason that they receive significant income supports from the Department. In addition to carer’s allowance, carers receive additional support in the form of free travel and household benefits (for those who live with the person for whom they care) and the annual respite care grant in respect of each person for whom they care.

If a person is getting certain qualifying social welfare payments and also providing full time care and attention to another person, they can keep their main social welfare payment and get the half-rate carer's allowance as well. They can also receive an extra half-rate carer’s allowance if they care for more than one person. From October 2013 onwards, the payment of half-rate carer’s allowance does not preclude a person from qualifying for fuel allowance. If a person is in receipt of a non-contributory social welfare payment and a half-rate carer’s allowance, then they are deemed to have satisfied the means test and fuel allowance is payable subject to all remaining criteria being satisfied. If a person is in receipt of a contributory social welfare payment and a half-rate carer’s allowance then they will have to undergo a means test for fuel allowance.

Any decision to amend the criteria for receiving fuel allowance would have to be considered in overall policy and budgetary contexts.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.