Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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524. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the full year cost of extending eligibility for the fuel allowance to those in receipt of the working family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43066/24]

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.

Based on 40,354 additional recipients of the working family payment qualifying for the fuel allowance, the estimate cost of extending the fuel allowance payment to all those in receipt of Working Family Payment is as follows:

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.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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525. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the full year cost of increasing the living alone allowance by €2, €3, €4, €6, €8 and €10; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43067/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The estimated full year of cost of increasing the living alone allowance by €2, €3, €4,€6, €8 and €10 is outlined in table below.

The costs shown above are on a full year basis and are based on the estimated number of recipients. It should be noted that these costings are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2025.