Jen Cummins
Question:1376. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection his plan to allow JI participants to qualify for the fuel allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46031/25]
View answerMonday, 8 September 2025
Questions (1376)
Written answers
The Job Initiative scheme provides full-time employment for people 35 years of age or over who had been unemployed for five years or more. Since November 2004, there has been no recruitment to the scheme. Since January 2004, participants on the Job Initiative scheme cannot retain their entitlement to Fuel Allowance while participating on the scheme.
The current rate of payment for a Job Initiative participant is €543.00 per week, significantly higher than most Social Protection primary payments.
Any further changes to the criteria for accessing the fuel allowance scheme would have cost implications and could only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources. However, any such decision would change the targeted nature of the Fuel Allowance scheme, as it would be awarding the payment to people in full-time employment who are not in receipt of a qualifying Social Protection payment.