Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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399. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 599 of 22 March 2022, if a person who is in receipt of a living alone allowance and fuel allowance will have the allowance protected if he or she is forced to take in a son or daughter due to the housing crisis; and if she will request her officials to take these circumstances into account. [35652/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Further to the Deputy's previous question, I was pleased to recently announce a series of measures which will remove barriers facing social welfare customers who choose to accommodate tenants or those affected by the Ukraine crisis in their homes.

I am introducing a new means disregard of up to €14,000 per annum, in respect of those who rent a room in their home.  This brings social welfare rules in line with the Rent a Room Relief Scheme, which has been operated for many years by the Revenue Commissioners.  This new disregard means that a social welfare customer will be able to rent out a room in their home for up to €14,000 per annum and this income will not see their means-tested social welfare payment impacted, including for the Fuel Allowance or the Household Benefits Package.

I am also introducing a change in the rules for those who receive the Living Alone Allowance.  This change will facilitate continued payment of the Living Alone Allowance to those who accommodate people (but not immediate family members), via rental or otherwise, in their own home.  This amendment will apply mainly to the benefit of pensioners making accommodation available, including to arrivals fleeing the war in Ukraine.  Any necessary regulatory or other changes in this regard will be finalised shortly.

The living alone allowance and the fuel allowance payment are considered secondary, or non-primary payments which are incorporated into the person’s qualifying payment.  The effect of the allowances is to increase the rate of payment to qualifying people.

The qualifying criteria for these payments are designed to ensure the payments go to those who need them the most.  In the case of the living alone allowance, it recognises that there are economies of scale associated with living with another person.  With regards to the fuel allowance payment, it ensures that it goes to those who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own and who require support with heating their home in the winter period.

The adult child of a householder moving back into the family home might reduce such additional allowances previously held by the householder.  However, the economies of scale from living together should mean that a weekly contribution by the person moving in would compensate for any such reduction in payments from my Department.

Significant costs would arise if the criteria were relaxed in the manner suggested by the Deputy and any decision to change the criteria for these schemes would have to be considered in the overall budgetary context.

Finally, the Department of Social Protection operates an Additional Needs Payment as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people who have additional needs, which they cannot meet from their own resources.  This payment is detailed on the Department's website at www.gov.ie/anpand is available through our Community Welfare Officers.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.