Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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487. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the €500 disability support grant will be accessible to a person who has recently signed up to a course and is paid through bodies like Louth and Meath Education and Training Board; and if she will consider these people when making the payments. [51568/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As part of Budget 2023, the Social Protection budget has been designed to assist people with Cost-of- Living increases through a mix of lump sum payments, increases to weekly payment rates and an expansion of the fuel allowance scheme.

The measures introduced include the provision of a one-off €500 Cost-of-Living lump sum payment, which will be paid in November 2022 to recipients of the Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension and the Carer's Support Grant. Recipients who are in receipt of one (or more) of these payments will qualify for the €500 payment.

Those attending a Solas training course are not eligible for the €500 Cost-of-Living lump sum payment.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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488. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will clarify the recently announced increase in the threshold for fuel allowance (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51908/22]

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, 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.

In Budget 2023, I was pleased to announce the largest ever expansion of the Fuel Allowance Scheme. As part of this, from January 2023, a new means test will be introduced for over 70s. Under the new means test, a single person over 70 will be able to have income of €500 per week and a couple will be able to have income of €1,000 per week and still qualify for Fuel Allowance.

The new means test limit of €1,000 will be applicable to a couple once one of them is aged 70 or over. Therefore, both partners do not have to be aged 70 or over to benefit from the new measure.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.