Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

424. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) had her fuel allowance stopped [10146/23]

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

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).

According to the information provided to my Department by the person concerned, her household includes people who are not eligible for the purpose of fuel allowance. As a result her fuel allowance was stopped from the 10th February 2023. The person was notified in writing of this decision and advised if there were any changes in their circumstances to submit a new application.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Additional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off costs which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

425. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason persons (details supplied) do not qualify for fuel allowance. [10150/23]

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

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. One of the conditions for receipt of fuel allowance is that a person must satisfy a means test.

From January 2023, the threshold for the fuel allowance means test for those aged over 70 is €500 for a single person and €1,000 for a couple without the need to be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment. In this case the threshold is €1,000 per week.

Following a means assessment, it was determined that the means are €1,036.51 which exceeds the permissible weekly means for fuel allowance qualification purposes. Where applicants exceed the permissible income limit, marginally or otherwise, there is no scope for discretion. The application was disallowed, and the person concerned was notified in writing on 03 January 2023.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.