Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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281. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will extend the fuel allowance to persons in receipt of the working family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46483/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, which is supporting over 370,000 households in 2022, at an estimated cost of €366 million. 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.

The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct limited resources 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 who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own.

The Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly, tax-free payment available to employees with children. It gives extra financial support to families with children with rates depending on their incomes and family size. It is not considered a long-term Social Protection payment, is not subject to a capital means test, and recipients are in full time employment. A person in receipt of the WFP can continue to receive the payment for 52 weeks even if their income increases.

All proposals, including any proposals to extend the Fuel Allowance to those in receipt of the WFP could only be considered while taking account of overall Government policy and in a budgetary context. The Government will finalise its consideration of the Budget in the coming days having regard to all of its commitments. The outcome of this process will be announced on Budget Day.

Finally, the Department of Social Protection provides Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people who have an urgent need, which they cannot meet from their own resources. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.