Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party)
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365. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 978 of 17 January 2024, the definition of qualified children; the definition of dependant children eligible for the fuel allowance; if there is an age limit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3731/24]

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 €382 million in 2024. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household.

For the purposes of Fuel Allowance, a dependent or qualified child is one for whom an Increase for a Qualified Child is payable, or in the case of an applicant with no primary social welfare scheme, the child must be in full-time education if aged between 18 and 22.

An Increase for a Qualified Child is only payable on the Departments schemes up to the age of 22.

Where the Increase for a Qualified Child on a fuel applicant’s claim ceases because the previously qualified child has turned 22, Fuel Allowance can remain in payment in cases where the previously qualified child remains in full-time education and is not in receipt of any disqualifying Social Welfare payment or in employment.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.