Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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346. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will disregard half-rate carer's allowance as income as part of the means test for the fuel allowance when the income of a person is solely made up of social welfare payments alone such as in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49927/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to 370,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. 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 under the household benefits scheme at an estimated cost of €195 million in 2021.

The Government values the role of carers very much and it is for this reason that they receive significant income supports from my Department. In addition to Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit 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 Carers Support Grant in respect of each person for whom they care.

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 qualifying 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 qualifying contributory social welfare payment and a half-rate Carer’s Allowance then the value of the half-rate Carer’s Allowance will be assessed in the means test for Fuel Allowance.

A fuel applicant and members of his/her household may have a combined assessable income of up to €100.00 a week above the appropriate rate of State Pension Contributory and qualify for a payment. The €100 a week means limit is significantly higher that the weekly fuel allowance rate of €28.00 and also the combined weekly total of household benefits and fuel allowance added together (€37.15).

Any decision to disregard half-rate carers as income as part of the means test for the fuel allowance when the income of a person is solely made up of social welfare payments alone would have cost implications and would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating and travel costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this information provides some clarification on the issues.