Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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805. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide funding for individuals to avail of medical microblading on similar terms to the provision of wigs and hair pieces for people who suffer from hair loss due to disease. [12479/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In general, medical or health related benefits fall within the remit of the Department of Health and the HSE. However, my Department administers the Treatment Benefit scheme which provides dental, optical, and medical appliances benefits to insured workers, the self-employed and retired people who have the required number of PRSI contributions. These treatments are also available to their dependent spouse or partner if applicable.

As part of Budget 2022, I announced an expansion to the range of services available under the medical appliances strand of the scheme. A new grant was provided from 28 May 2022 towards the cost of wigs and hairpieces for people who suffer from hair loss due to disease.

The new grant is subject to medical eligibility requirements in addition to the general eligibility requirements for Treatment Benefit. The qualifying medical conditions and treatments are outlined in Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No.7) (Treatment Benefit) Regulations 2022 - S.I. No. 259 of 2022.

The treatments covered under this grant include non-surgical hair replacement relating to hair loss on the scalp area e.g. wigs or hair pieces. The grant does not cover micro-blading.

While I have no plans to expand the scheme further at this time, my Department keeps schemes under regular review to make sure they meet their objectives. Any changes to the current system would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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806. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there is any discretion in the assessment of the fuel allowance for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12489/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments and persons aged over 70 towards the cost of their winter heating needs. From January 2023, 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; the capital disregard threshold has been increased from €20,000 to €50,000; and those over age 70 no longer need to be in receipt of a qualifying payment to apply for Fuel Allowance. Existing household composition rules continue to apply.

The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed to direct the limited resources available to my Department in a targeted manner. 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 where all the qualifying conditions are met and cannot be awarded on a discretionary basis to those who are marginally above the applicable means limit.

The person concerned has income from private pensions which, in addition to the state pensions received by the couple, exceeds the weekly means threshold of €1,000. The person was notified in writing that they do not qualify for Fuel Allowance and a breakdown of the means assessment has issued to them.

My Department provides Additional Needs Payments, as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, for people who have essential expenses which they cannot meet from their own resources. Enquiries and applications in relation to these payments can be made by contacting the Community Welfare Service at their local Intreo Centre.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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807. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she is aware that the recent one-off payment increases to the living alone allowance has made some people ineligible for receipt of the fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12508/23]

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 €412 million in 2023. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household.

In the case of applicants in receipt of the Living Alone Increase (LAI), the Fuel Allowance guidelines indicate that the rate of LAI received is disregarded when assessing means for Fuel Allowance purposes. The disregard also covers the recent one-off payment increases to the LAI. This ensures that the LAI does not affect a person's entitlement to Fuel Allowance.

If the Deputy is aware of any applicant that was refused the Fuel Allowance payment solely because they are in receipt of the LAI, I would ask him to pass on the details to my Department so that the application can be reviewed.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.