Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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183. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will review and change the current very penal means test calculation on land or savings on, for example, the non-contributory old age pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32897/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Means test rules in my Department are kept under regular review and a number of significant changes were made in recent years including:

• Increase in the Carer's Allowance income disregard to €625 for a single person and €1,250 for a couple from July 2025.
• The amount disregarded when you sell your home to move into care increased to €337,500 from January 2025 for those who get State Pension (Non-contributory), or Disability Allowance or Blind Pension.
• The means test disregard for Fuel Allowance was extended to those aged 66 and over from January 2025.

William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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184. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to extend the winter fuel allowance to people with physical disabilities to a year round free fuel allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32780/25]

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, available from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €400 million in 2025. The duration of the scheme is designed to coincide with the coldest periods of the year, and it is for this reason the scheme runs from September to April annually. The coldest period of the year is when households would have the greatest need for support with their fuel costs.While the supports provided by my Department such as Fuel Allowance may be sufficient for many people with disabilities, I understand however that there will always be exceptional cases and it is for this reason that my Department provides Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme. My Department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. These payments are available year-round through our Community Welfare Officers.The Programme for Government includes a commitment to examine key ancillary benefits such as the Fuel Allowance, Household Benefits Package and Living Alone Increase to support vulnerable groups. This is an ongoing activity as part of the Department's budget planning each year and I will continue, as part of the budget planning process, to consider if improvements can be made to ensure that these benefits continue to target vulnerable groups. Any future decisions will, of course, have to take account of the availability of financial resources.I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party)
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185. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if consideration will be given to entitling persons on a widow’s pension working in schools to be able to claim job seeker's benefit when not being paid when off; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33210/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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People who are employed in schools may receive income support from my department during unpaid holiday periods, through the social insurance based Jobseeker’s Benefit scheme, or the means tested Jobseeker's Allowance scheme, depending on individual circumstances. There is a general principle of one person, one payment, which applies across the social welfare system. Given the nature of this system, it can happen that a person may meet the conditionality of more than one scheme at the same time, but generally, as these payments are to help people to meet their income needs, he or she can receive only one of those payments.However, in the case of a person in receipt of a Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension there are some instances where a person can be paid jobseekers if they are in receipt of a weekly rate of pension that is lower than the rate of a jobseeker’s payment.There is no change to the income supports to which such persons are entitled during unpaid holiday periods following the introduction of the new Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit. This new social insurance income support has replaced the Jobseeker's Benefit scheme for people who have become fully unemployed since 31 March.The legislation underpinning the scheme specifically provides that specific categories of atypical workers are excluded from Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit, including those whose pattern of employment and unemployment is aligned with the academic year. People whose employment and unemployment patterns are aligned with the academic year have a predictable or ongoing pattern of work and do not the experience the income shock from a sudden and permanent loss of employment.Applications for Jobseeker's Benefit or Allowance can be made online via www.mywelfare.ie. Alternatively, application forms can be requested by emailing jobseekersforms@welfare.ie or from a person's local Intreo Centre or Branch Office. I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.