Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

381. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the current income a single parent can earn before having the fuel allowance cut; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56329/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. In general, to qualify for Fuel Allowance an applicant must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, satisfy a means test and satisfy the household composition criteria.  This ensures that the payments go to those who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own. 

The income limit that a single parent can earn and still qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment is determined by a number of factors including the qualifying payment they are in receipt of from my Department. 

A single parent who is in receipt of a qualifying assistance type payment such as One-Parent Family Payment (OPFP) is deemed to have satisfied the means test for Fuel Allowance purposes as they have already undergone a means test when entitlement to OPFP was decided on. 

A single parent who is in receipt of a qualifying contributory type payment will have to satisfy a means test to qualify for Fuel Allowance.  The current means limit for a single person is €120 above the relevant rate of State Pension (Contributory).  In Budget 2023, provision was made to increase the means test threshold from €120 to €200 above the relevant rate of State Pension (Contributory) with effect from January 2023.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.