Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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499. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if recipients of jobseeker’s payments will be afforded flexibility regarding their payments being made to bank accounts in circumstances in which recipients have direct debits and bills set up with their banks which would cause significant inconvenience should they be required to collect their payment in person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7753/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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When public health restrictions were introduced in 2020, people in receipt of Social Welfare payments were given the option of being paid into a bank account. This was an exceptional measure to help reduce the spread of the virus and ensure people could comply with social distancing guidelines.

Due to the current easing of restrictions and following consultation with An Post and the Irish Postmaster’s Union (IPU), it has been decided that jobseeker payments will now return to being paid by the Post Office Network. This move will bring additional footfall to post offices as well as helping to combat social welfare fraud.

The changes will apply initially to all new jobseeker applicants before being extended to other jobseekers in due course.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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500. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has considered increasing the household benefits package given the recent rise in the cost of electricity bills; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7872/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Household Benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to some people under the age of 66, who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. My Department will spend approximately €273 million this year on HHB.

In 2022 the estimated cost of the gas and electricity element of the package is €203 million and will benefit over 476,000 households. The gas and electricity element is paid at a rate of €35 per month, 12 months of the year.

Any decision to increase the electricity and gas aspect of the package would have budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in the context of overall budget negotiations.

The Government is acutely aware of the increase in consumer prices in recent months, especially the increase in fuel and other energy prices. To help mitigate the effects of these rising costs, the Government has announced additional expenditure measures to a total of €505 million which will make a positive impact on the incomes of all households in our country.

As part of these measures, I was delighted to announce an additional lump sum payment of €125 that will be paid to all households in receipt of the fuel allowance payment. It is expected that this additional lump sum will be paid in early March at an estimated cost of €49 million.

Other significant measures announced by the Government include the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment which is a key measure being developed by the Government to help mitigate the effects of the recent rise in electricity prices. The scheme, under the auspices of the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications and supervised by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, will be paid in addition to the gas and electricity element of the HHB package to qualifying households. Approximately 2.1m households will benefit by €200 each from the new scheme.

The combined worth of the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment and the additional fuel lump sum payment is €325 or the equivalent of over 9 weeks of additional fuel allowance or 9 months of additional HHB payments. I have also announced that the Working Family Payment budget increase announced on Budget Day will be brought forward from the first of June to the first of April.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department also provides Exceptional Needs Payments which 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 costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.