Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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475. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason those on illness benefit are not entitled to the fuel allowance payment. [29323/24]

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.

The Fuel Allowance is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income.

Illness Benefit is not a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance, as in the vast majority of cases, Illness Benefit is a short-term payment for those who are certified by their GP as needing to take time out from their employment due to illness.

This means there is a constant daily churn in terms of Illness Benefit recipients as people take time off/return to work. In addition, in many cases Illness Benefit is paid directly to the employer where sick pay is paid. Most recipients of Illness Benefit still have an attachment to the labour force and there is an expectation that they will return to work.

Long-term Illness Benefit recipients who are permanently incapable of work may be eligible for Invalidity Pension (subject to satisfying the relevant medical criteria and social insurance contributions). Those who are substantially restricted in undertaking suitable employment arising from a medical condition may be eligible for the means-tested Disability Allowance (subject to the relevant medical criteria). Recipients of both of these payments are eligible for Fuel Allowance, subject to fulfilling all other qualifying criteria.

People on long-term payments are unlikely to have additional resources of their own and are more vulnerable to poverty, including energy poverty. It is for this reason that the Department allocates additional payments, supports and resources to help this cohort of claimants.

Any further widening of the qualifying criteria for accessing the fuel allowance scheme can only be considered while taking account of the overall policy and budgetary situation.

My Department does provide 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. Additional Needs Payments, where appropriate, can be paid to people who face difficulties in meeting fuel bills. Additional Needs Payments are not restricted to the fuel season and can be paid throughout the year.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.