Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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399. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a decision will be made on an application by a person (details supplied) for a domiciliary care allowance. [6753/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability and requires continual or continuous care and attention in the home, substantially over and above the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and the child must be likely to require this level of care for at least 12 months.

An application in respect of their child was initially received from the person concerned on 08 April 2022. Their application was disallowed as per decision dated 30 May 2022, as their child was not considered to satisfy the conditions for DCA.

A new application in respect of the child concerned, including new additional information and updated documentary evidence, was received on 26 October 2022.

A decision has now been made on this application and the person concerned was notified in writing of the deciding officer's decision on 08 February 2023.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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400. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) cannot get carer's allowance for their mother-in-law; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6786/23]

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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401. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason that a person (details supplied) had their fuel allowance payment stopped, without prior notification, once their dependent student turned 22 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6808/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) is paid from late September to April to assist households with their energy costs.

Under the current qualifying conditions for fuel allowance a person must satisfy all the qualifying criteria including the household composition criteria. Fuel allowance is not payable if an applicant lives with any person, including a family member that is not covered by the household composition criteria outlined below.

- a qualified spouse / civil partner / cohabitant or qualified child(ren); (if the qualified spouse is in receipt of half rate carers, in addition to the IQA payment, they may qualify for fuel allowance, subject to a means test) or

- a person in receipt of a qualifying payment who would be entitled to the allowance in their own right or

- a person who is in receipt of carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit in respect of providing full-time care and attention to the fuel allowance applicant or their qualified spouse / civil partner / cohabitant or qualified child(ren) or

- a person receiving short-term jobseeker's allowance (JA) or basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) - i.e., less than 391 days for JA and less than 15 months/456 days for SWA).

The person concerned currently qualifies for a Jobseeker’s Transitional (JST) payment which is a special arrangement under the Jobseeker’s Allowance scheme that aims to support lone parents into the workforce while they have young children.

This payment is available to people who are not cohabiting and whose youngest child is aged between 7 and 13 years inclusive.

The customer's fuel allowance payment was stopped in error when her oldest child turned 22 as it was not understood that her child was continuing in full-time education. This error is regretted and the customer's fuel allowance has been re-instated and will be in her bank account this week.

I trust the above clarifies the matter for the Deputy.