Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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1196. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if consideration has been given to extending the fuel allowance period to the end of April 2020 to help persons with additional heating costs associated with self-isolation and illness. [4991/20]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The fuel allowance is a payment of €24.50 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €686 each year) from October to April, to over 370,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €261 million in 2020. 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.

The fuel allowance is an important measure that assists pensioners and other welfare dependent householders to address income deficiency, especially during the winter when a household faces increased heating needs. The duration of the scheme is designed to coincide with the coldest periods of the year and it is for this reason the scheme runs from October to mid-April.

In the context of the COVID-19 emergency, the Government has already allocated c. €2.4 billion in a package of social protection measures. For example, enhanced Illness Benefit is available for employees or self-employed people who are medically required to self isolate or medically diagnosed with Covid-19. The personal rate of Illness Benefit has increased from €203 per week to €350 per week for such persons and the 6 day waiting period has been removed making payment available from the first certified day of illness. In addition to this, the normal social welfare conditionality requirements for access to Illness Benefit do not apply to these employees. Furthermore, self-employed persons who would not normally be able to access Illness Benefit will also be in a position to receive this income support. These measures will enable self-employed people or other workers who do not have the necessary social insurance history to receive the increased payment without having to undergo a means test.

As well as the above measures, I was delighted to announce on the 31st March that, in order to support vulnerable households during the COVID-19 emergency, especially at this time where the Government wishes people to stay at home to stay safe, the fuel season will be extended by four weeks for existing eligible customers on a once-off basis.

This extends the payment of €24.50 per week to c. 373,570 households from Friday 10 April (when it was due to expire) until Friday 8 May 2020 and will provide these vulnerable households with additional targeted financial supports in a timely, efficient and time bound manner.

In addition to the extension of the fuel allowance season, under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme a special heating supplement may be paid to assist people in certain circumstances. Exceptional needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which an applicant is unable to meet from his / her own resources.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.