Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2025
543. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the one-payment-per-household rule for the fuel allowance scheme whereby adult children on low incomes are living in the family home due to the housing crisis and are refused support based on parental income alone, despite individually qualifying for the scheme; and the plans to allow eligibility to be assessed on an individual basis in such circumstances. [73435/25]
View answerThe criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to the Department in as targeted a manner as possible. To qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment, a household must satisfy all the qualifying criteria, this ensures that the Fuel Allowance payment is targeted at those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty, including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own.
A change in the qualifying criteria such as assessing Fuel Allowance on an individual rather than a household basis would have to be considered in the context of scheme policy and budgetary negotiations.
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. Any person who considers that they may have an entitlement to an Additional Needs Payment is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office. In addition, applications can be made online via www.mywelfare.ie.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
