Written answers

Thursday, 9 March 2023

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Social Welfare Benefits

Photo of Violet-Anne WynneViolet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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275. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the changes that have been made to the household benefits package since the start of the Government term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12187/23]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Household Benefits Package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. My Department will spend approximately €285 million this year on HHB for over 508,000 customers.

People over the age of 70 receive the HHB package, with one package provided per household. The package is also available to people living in the State aged 66-69 years who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments or who satisfy a means test. The package is available to some people under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments.

The changes introduced to the HHB package by the current Government are as follows: -

From the 11 October 2021,the allowable means for HHB purposes for those aged between 66-69 not in receipt of a qualifying payment was increased by €20 to €120 above the appropriate rate of State Pension (Contributory).

From the 6 January 2023,the allowable means for HHB purposes for those aged between 66-69 not in receipt of a qualifying payment was increased by €80 to €200 above the appropriate rate of State Pension (Contributory).

There has been no recent increase to the gas/electricity element of the HHB package as the limited resources available to the Department have instead been targeted at increases to core Social Welfare payments and also to more targeted payments such as the Fuel Allowance payment.

Any decision to enhance the HHB package would have cost implications and could only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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