Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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532. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the process to date in the determination of backdating a jobseeker's allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9517/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Person concerned applied for Jobseekers Allowance on the 20th of September 2021 and requested a backdate of the application to May 2021.

Jobseekers Allowance was awarded from the 20th of September 2021. However the backdate was disallowed as the customer was not in the State between May 2021 and the 11th of September 2021. The person concerned signed documentation to confirm they were out of the State during this period.

A disallowance letter was issued to the customer in relation to this backdate refusal on the 08 December 2021.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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533. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the process to date in the determination of an application of the fuel allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9518/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Person concerned applied for Fuel Allowance on the 18th October 2021, They were contacted by the Deciding officer on the 19th of October 2021 and advised to submit a letter of attendance for either School or University in respect of their child who is over 18 years of age. This documentation is required to ascertain if there is an entitlement to fuel in the household.

The requested documentation was not submitted therefore a determination of eligibility could not be completed. It is open to the applicant to supply the requested documentation and a Deciding Officer will re-examine this application.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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534. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the process to date in the determination of an application for the fuel allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9519/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks ( a total of €924 each year) from October to April, The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. One allowance is paid per household.

Qualifying payments for Fuel Allowance are those payments that are considered long term payments and an applicant must also satisfy a means tests.

The person concerned is in receipt of Illness Benefit. Illness Benefit is a short-term payment for those who are certified by their GP as needing to take time out from their employment due to illness, and accordingly is not a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance.

People who are permanently incapable of work may be eligible for the non-means tested Invalidity Pension, subject to satisfying the relevant social insurance and medical criteria. Those who are substantially restricted in undertaking suitable employment arising from a medical condition may be eligible for the means-tested Disability Allowance, subject to meeting the relevant medical criteria. Recipients of both of these payments, subject to satisfying all qualifying conditions, may be eligible for Fuel Allowance.

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 resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such cases are made on a case-by case basis.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.