Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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304. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there are any proposals to change the social welfare code in order that carers can avail of fuel allowance which is available to others; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21845/22]

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, which is currently supporting over 372,000 households, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. 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 Government values the role of carers very much and it is for this reason that they receive significant income supports from the Department. In addition to Carer’s Allowance, 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 Carer's Support Grant (€1,850) in respect of each person for whom they care.

While Carer's Allowance is not a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance, a person in receipt of Carer's Allowance may avail of the fuel allowance payment in certain circumstances. Fuel Allowance is a household-based payment, and a carer will very often live with and care for a person in receipt of a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance. Income from full rate Carer's Allowance is disregarded from the fuel means test, if the carer is providing full time care and attention to the Fuel Allowance applicant, his/her qualified spouse/civil partner or cohabitant or qualified child(ren).

If a person is getting certain qualifying social welfare payments and also providing full time care and attention to another person, s/he can keep his/her main social protection payment in addition to receiving the half-rate Carer's Allowance. S/he can also receive an extra half-rate Carer’s Allowance if s/he cares for more than one person. 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 non-contributory social welfare payment and a half-rate Carer’s Allowance, then s/he is 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 contributory social welfare payment and a half-rate Carer’s Allowance then s/he will have to satisfy a means test in order to qualify for Fuel Allowance.

Any decision to adjust the rules of Fuel Allowance to make Carer's Allowance a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance would have budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in the context of overall budget 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 costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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305. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will ensure that disabled artists will not be penalised and will be able to retain their disability payments if they are successful in qualifying for the basic income for artists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21874/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a range of income supports for people unable to work due to illness or disability. The largest disability related social assistance scheme is the Disability Allowance.

Disability Allowance is a means-tested payment for people with a specified disability that must be expected to last for at least one year, substantially restricting a person’s ability to undertake work which would otherwise be suitable for persons of similar age, experience, and qualification. The person must be aged between 16 and 66 and be habitually resident in the State. At the end of March 2022, in excess of 155,000 persons were in receipt of this payment.

Disability Allowance is structured to support recipients to avail of opportunities to pursue employment, be that self-employment or insurable employment. When an individual commences employment, they can avail of an income disregard of €140 per week. In addition, 50% of earnings, between €140 and €350, are also disregarded, i.e. 50% of earnings in this band are disregarded for the purpose of the means test. Earnings above €350 per week are assessed in full.

Resulting from Budget measures, the following increases will apply from June:

1. An increase in the earnings threshold above which means is fully assessed - by €25 per week, from €350 to €375 per week.

2. An increase in the general weekly means disregard entry point for Disability Allowance from €2.50 to €7.60. Currently the first €2.50 of weekly means is disregarded for Disability Allowance. The effect of this measure will be to increase the weekly rate of payment by up to €5.10 per week for Disability Allowance recipients who have means.

Income from the Basic Income for the Arts Pilot Scheme will be treated as income from self-employment, and as a result the disregards above will apply. A new web page has been created on Gov.ie which details the ‘Interaction of the Basic Income for the Arts Pilot Scheme with DSP payments’. This page will be updated as required.

My Department regularly reviews its supports and payments schemes to ensure that they continue to meet their objectives, while any proposed changes must be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.