Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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43. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if applicants for the fuel allowance under the new threshold guidelines announced in Budget 2023, who will now qualify for the payment from 1 January 2023, will receive the additional grant support of €400 announced for fuel allowance recipients; if not, the additional supports which she intends to provide for such vulnerable persons in the coming months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50627/22]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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45. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will ensure that the €400 one-off payment to those in receipt of fuel allowance is extended to those who will become eligible for fuel allowance with the new means test in January 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50098/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 45 together.

The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, 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. Only one allowance is paid per household.

As part of the Government's cost of living measures in Budget 2023, I announced that, in November 2022, a further lump sum payment of €400 will be paid to Fuel Allowance recipients to alleviate the burden of rising energy prices and inflation.

This further lump sum payment will be available to households that have an entitlement to the fuel allowance payment on the week that the lump sum is paid.

While the lump sum payment will not be available to households that qualify for the fuel allowance payment in January, by qualifying for the Fuel Allowance payment they will be receiving an extra €924 in a full fuel season to help with the cost of heating their home.

Some households to whom access is extended from January may also benefit from other cost-of-living measures announced in the Budget such as the double week in social welfare payments in October and December and the living alone payment of €200.

The enhanced electricity credit of €600 is another important Government measure announced in the Budget. This will also benefit households to whom access to Fuel Allowance is extended from January. The first €200 will be applied to electricity bills before Christmas.

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 Deputies.