Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

266. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if public service pension recipients (details supplied) will be incorporated into the qualifying cohort eligible to receive the fuel allowance under the national fuel scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61418/22]

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. Only one allowance is paid per household.

As part of the overall welfare Budget 2023 package of €2.2 Billion, a number of considerable reforms were made to the Fuel Allowance Scheme with up to 81,000 new households to qualify for Fuel Allowance from January 2023.

These reforms included that from January 2023 a new means threshold will be introduced for people aged 70 years and over. The new means threshold will be €500 for a single person and €1,000 for a couple.

Those age 70 or over will also no longer be required to be in receipt of a qualifying Social Welfare payment to be able to access the Fuel Allowance payment.

Therefore, Public Service pension holders aged 70 years and over can apply for and qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment subject to satisfying all relevant qualifying conditions.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.