Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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659. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide an update on a fuel allowance application (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44322/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The fuel allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924) is paid from late September to April to assist households with their energy costs.

The Fuel Allowance has been awarded. The first lump sum payment of €462 will issue on Friday 1 November 2024. An additional lump sum of €300 to help offset the impact of increasing energy costs and the cost of living will issue on 8 November 2024.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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661. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide an update on an application by a person (details supplied) for carer’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44344/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.

An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 1 August 2024.

It is a condition for receipt of CA that every claimant shall furnish such certificates, documents, information, and evidence as may be required for the purposes of deciding their claim.

Additional information in relation to the person’s application was requested by a Deciding Officer (DO) on 13 August 2024. The person concerned failed to provide all the information that was required to determine their means did not exceed the statutory limit allowed for receipt of CA.

The application was also referred for the professional opinion of a Department Medical Assessor.

The claim was disallowed on two conditions. The DO, having regard to the opinion of the Medical Assessor, decided that the information supplied did not show that the care recipient required full time care and the person concerned failed to supply all of the requested information.

The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 11 September 2024. They were also notified of their right to have the decision reviewed (where further information is available) or to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.

The person concerned requested a review of the decision on 3 October 2024.

The DO reviewed all the evidence of the case and found that, although a certain level of care was provided, the evidence submitted did not satisfy the full-time care and attention requirement as defined in the legislation for the care recipient. The person concerned also failed to provide all of the necessary information requested. Therefore, the application for CA was disallowed and the decision remained unchanged.

The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 24 October 2024. They were also notified of their right to have the decision reviewed (where further information is available) or to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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662. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an application for disability allowance will be expedited and approved in the name of a person (details supplied). [44353/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66 years. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and the habitual residency conditions.

I confirm that my Department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 21 March 2024. Based on the evidence supplied with the person’s application, his DA was disallowed on the grounds that the medical qualifying condition was not satisfied.

The person concerned was notified of the decision in writing on 03 May 2024 and advised of their entitlement to request a review and/or to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).

Correspondence received on 24 May 2024 from the person concerned, including additional medical evidence, requested both a review and appeal of the decision dated 3 May 2024. A request to open an appeal was sent to the SWAO at this point.

Reviews of the decision to disallow the DA were undertaken in May, July and October on foot of additional medical evidence being submitted. At each point the medical circumstances were fully examined and the original decision was upheld. The person concerned was notified of the outcome of these reviews in writing.

All further evidence in support of this application was also sent onto the SWAO for their consideration. The file is currently with the SWAO, and the person concerned will be notified directly regarding the outcome of their appeal.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.