Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical and aural services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependent spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions. 

The person concerned has the required number of PRSI contributions paid to qualify for the treatment benefits scheme and is qualified for life. 

The medical appliance scheme provides for a 500 euro grant towards the purchase of up to two hearing aids every 4 years. As the person concerned availed of the hearing aid grant in 2020, he will not qualify again until January 2024.

Under the dental benefit scheme, a qualified person can get a free examination and a subsidised dental cleaning once per year.

Under the optical scheme, they can get a free examination, together with free or subsidised spectacles/contact lenses every two years; repairs to spectacles are also covered.  

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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341. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports available for fuel allowance applicants who are marginally over the qualifying limit; if exceptions can be made for these people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60219/22]

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. Only one allowance is paid per household.

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.  To qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment, a person must satisfy all the qualifying criteria including a means test and the household composition criteria.  This ensures that the Fuel Allowance payment is targeted at 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.  

Fuel Allowance can only be awarded if an applicant satisfies the qualifying conditions and cannot be awarded on a discretionary basis to those who are marginally above the qualifying limit.

In Budget 2023, I secured funding for the largest ever expansion of the Fuel Allowance scheme.  It is estimated that this expansion could bring up to 81,000 additional households into the scheme.  The changes announced take effect from the first week in January.   

For applicants aged 70 and over, there is a new means test limit of €500 for a single person and €1,000 for a couple.  Under the formula used to assess means for the Fuel Allowance for over 70s, the threshold for capital that is disregarded in the assessment will increase from €20,000 to €50,000.  Also, from next January, an over-70 applicant no longer needs to be in receipt of a qualifying payment.  Existing household composition rules continue to apply.   

For applicants under age 70, the weekly means threshold is being increased by €80, from €120 to €200 above the appropriate weekly rate of State Pension Contributory. 

From January 2023, Disablement Benefit and Half-Rate Carer's Allowance payments will be disregarded when assessing means for Fuel Allowance purposes. 

The Government has, therefore, implemented significant improvements through Budget 2023.  Any proposal to further increase the allowable means for Fuel Allowance purposes or any further changes to the eligibility criteria would have to be considered in this context and in the context of the overall policy and budgetary situation.

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.