Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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226. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if Irish residents in receipt of a British pension are entitled to social welfare supports such as the fuel allowance, living alone allowance and other supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5309/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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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 €400 million in 2025. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household.

It is important to note that people who are resident in Ireland and in receipt of a British State pension or an equivalent pension from other EU countries are eligible to receive the fuel allowance payment on the same basis as Irish State pension recipients. For my department to determine a person's entitlement to fuel allowance he or she must submit an application form.

Similarly, people resident in Ireland and in receipt of a British State pension or an equivalent pension from other EU countries are eligible to receive the Household Benefits Package on the same basis as Irish State pension recipients.

The Living Alone Increase is a €22 increase in the weekly rate of payment of certain Irish social protection payments, awarded where the recipient is living alone. For those aged 66 or over, payments eligible for the Living Alone Increase include State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Non-contributory), Widow’s, Widower’s, or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension, Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme, Incapacity Supplement under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme and Deserted Wife's Benefit. Living Alone Increase is also paid to people aged under 66 who live alone and are in receipt of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Incapacity Supplement or Blind Pension. It is not a stand-alone payment.

People in receipt of the British state pension or equivalent payments from other EU countries, are not entitled to receive the Irish Living Alone Increase to that payment, as the respective rates of those payments to people living alone or with other people, are set by national legislation in those countries. There are no circumstances where the Living Alone Increase can be paid to people who are not in receipt of a qualifying payment from my department in the first place.

Certain people who live in Ireland and receive a UK pension may qualify for a State pension (non-contributory). This is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, who do not qualify for a State pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. To be eligible for a State pension (non-contributory), an applicant must:

• be aged 66 years or over,
• have a legal right of residence in the State,
• be habitually resident in the State,
• have a valid Personal Public Service Number (PPSN),
• satisfy a means test, and
• if awarded the pension, continue to satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition and the applicable means test.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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227. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to review a grant decision (details supplied). [5310/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make an ANP to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. The ANP scheme is means tested and administered by Designated Persons (DPs) in the Community Welfare Service, taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance. Guaranteed payment of an ANP cannot be taken as an automatic entitlement and there is no 'grant' available.

According to the records of the Department, the person concerned applied for an ANP on 29/11/2024 to assist with the cost of furnishing his new home. This claim was disallowed on the basis that the person had sufficient means available to him in the form of savings to cover the expenses from his own resources. A letter issued to the person concerned on 04/12/2024 advising him of this outcome and affording him the opportunity to seek a review of the DP’s decision.

Determinations made in relation to claims made under Sections 200, 201 and 202 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation Act) 2005, namely allowances-in-kind, Exceptional Needs Payments and Urgent Needs Payments, can be reviewed by a SWA Reviewing Officer under Section 323 of that Act.

At the request of the person concerned, a SWA Reviewing Officer reviewed the claim and considering the circumstances of the case, upheld the original decision of the DP on the basis that at the date of the person's application, he had sufficient means available to him to cover the expenses from his own resources. Correspondence advising the person concerned of the outcome of this review was issued to him on 16/12/2024.

If the person concerned feels that he has been treated unfairly, he has the right of recourse to contact: The Office of the Ombudsman, 6 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, D02 W773, Telephone number: 01-639 5600 / 1890 22 30 30, Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie.

I trust this clarifies the matter.