Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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13. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to reform the criteria for the fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57448/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Fuel Allowance criteria are designed in a way that directs the resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. This ensures that the fuel allowance payment goes to those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and those who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own.

We made a number of considerable reforms to the fuel allowance scheme in Budget 2022, including:

- An increase in the weekly rate of fuel allowance by €5 with immediate effect from budget night bringing it to €33.

- A €20 increase in the weekly income threshold. While it was originally intended to introduce this from the 1st January 2022, I asked my officials to prioritise this work. I am happy to inform the Deputy that this work will now be completed at the end of this week with the effective date for the implementation of the revised means test now backdated to Budget day.

The combined cost of both of these measures is in the region of €60million and we estimate that approximately 400,000 households will benefit from Fuel Allowance next year. In addition, the qualifying period for Jobseeker’s and Supplementary Welfare Allowance recipients will be reduced from 15 to 12 months with effect from September 2022 ahead of the start of the next Fuel season.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department provides discretionary exceptional needs payments, where appropriate, to people who face difficulties in meeting fuel bills. These payments are not ring-fenced or budget limited as they would be if they were drawn from an earmarked fund, but rather are demand led.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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14. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason that a person in receipt of the carer’s allowance cannot get the over 65 benefit payment and retain the half-rate carer’s allowance given that when a person reaches 66 years of age they can claim the State pension and retain the half-rate carer’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58051/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds is a recently introduced scheme to provide an income support to people who are 65, who were in employment and who are required to, or who choose to, retire at age 65, but who do not qualify for the State Pension until they reach age 66. This scheme has been introduced as a new measure to address a specific concern raised on behalf of people in this very defined circumstance. My view is that the scheme meets the needs of people in this situation and is adequate to address to issue raised.

The half-rate Carer’s Allowance can be paid to any recipient or qualified adult dependent of an illness, disability or pensions payment where they are also providing full-time care to another person. Individuals in full-time employment do not qualify for a carer's payment nor do people in receipt of a Jobseeker’s payment qualify for a half-rate carer’s allowance.

Similarly, as initiated, the benefit payment for 65 year olds, being intended to provide a payment to people who would otherwise be in employment, does not provide for entitlement to concurrent payments such as half-rate carers. However, I note the point raised by the Deputy, thank her for raising it and agree that it is a change that warrants consideration.

In saying this it is important to note that the Benefit Payment for 65 Year Old scheme may itself change as we proceed to take account of the recommendations of the pensions commission. The Government is committed to responding to the commission recommendations by March of next year and in doing so I can assure the Deputy that we will keep an open mind with respect to the issue that she has raised.