Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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703. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will amend social protection legislation to allow persons in receipt of farm assist payments to receive the household benefits package, given that low-income farm families are among those struggling with increasing energy costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55166/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Household Benefits Package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. My Department will spend approximately €273 million this year on HHB for over 500,000 customers. People over the age of 70 receive the Household Benefits Package, with one package provided per household. The package is also available to people living in the State aged 66-69 years who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments or who satisfy a means test. The package is available to some people under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments.

The payment types that allow a person to receive the HHB package aged under 66 are those that are paid to people who have a long-term illness or disability or to their carers who reside with them.

While the Department's schemes are reviewed on an ongoing basis, there are no plans to extend the HHB package to working age payments such as Farm Assist. Any decision to do so would change the nature of the scheme and could only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.

The Government is very aware of the increased cost of living and, in Budget 2023, has provided an unprecedented response that aims to ease the financial pressure on households throughout the State.

As part of the Government's cost of living measures in Budget 2023, in October, an Autumn Cost of Living Double Payment was paid to Social Protection recipients including people in receipt of Farm Assist.

Farm Assist is a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance and, 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.

People who are in receipt of Farm Assist will get the Christmas Bonus double payment which will be paid from the week commencing 5 December.

From January 2023,the maximum rate of Farm Assist rate will increase by €12 to €220 per week. There will be proportionate increases for qualified adults and for people getting a reduced rate. The weekly full rate for a qualified child will increase to €42 for children under 12 years of age and to €50 for children aged 12 years and over

The enhanced electricity credit of €600 is another important Government measure announced in the Budget. This will also benefit all households. The first €200 will be applied to electricity bills before Christmas.

The Government will continue to monitor the cost-of-living situation closely.

I would also like to highlight that 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.