Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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818. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide her response to a recommendation in a report (details supplied) concerning energy poverty calling for the benchmarking of social welfare rates against what it costs to live a dignified life in Ireland. [12804/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to protecting vulnerable households from the impact of energy costs through a combination of supports, energy efficiency awareness initiatives and investment in programmes to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock.

Whilst policy on energy poverty and the Government's energy poverty strategy is primarily a matter for the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, my Department provides a range of schemes to assist with energy costs subject to satisfying the relevant qualifying conditions.

These include -

- The Fuel Allowance which is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (giving a total per recipient of €924 each year) from late September to April (estimated to cost €412 million in 2023).

- Electricity or gas allowances under the Household Benefits scheme.

- A special heating supplement under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.

- Exceptional needs payments to help meet an essential once-off cost, which an applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources.

Furthermore, in Budget 2023, the Government provided an unprecedented response that aims to ease the financial pressure on households throughout the State.

As part of the Government's cost of living measures in Budget 2023, an Autumn Cost of Living Double Payment was paid to Social Protection recipients in October. In November, a €200 Lump Sum Payment was paid to pensioners and people with a disability receiving the Living Alone Allowance, a €500 lump sum was paid to people receiving Carer’s Support Grant and a €500 lump sum was paid to people in receipt of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension and Blind Pension. A €400 additional Lump Sum payment was made to all households in receipt of the Fuel Allowance Payment.

In December, a Christmas Bonus Double Payment was paid to 1.3 million Social Protection recipients including pensioners, carers and people with disabilities.

From January 2023,the maximum rate of core Social Welfare rates was increased by €12 per week. There were proportionate increases for qualified adults and for people getting a reduced rate. The weekly full rate for a qualified child was increased to €42 for children under 12 years of age and to €50 for children aged 12 years and over.

Also, from January 2023, a new means threshold for the Fuel Allowance scheme was introduced for people aged 70 years and over. The new means threshold is €500 for a single person and €1,000 for a couple. The weekly means threshold for those aged under 70 was increased by €80 to €200 above the appropriate rate of State Pension (Contributory). Similarly, 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).

The enhanced electricity credit of €600 is another important Government measure announced in the Budget. This will also benefit all households. The first €400 was applied to electricity bills in November and January.

The Government recently announced further supports for people over the coming months, including a €200 lump sum payment to be provided to people on long-term Social Protection payments, on the same basis as the Christmas bonus, and including Working Family Payment recipients.