Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2026
576. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of extending the fuel allowance to all those in receipt of the carer's allowance payment, where this is the only qualifying criteria to receive the fuel allowance. [32968/26]
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 person 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.
It is not possible for the Department to provide an accurate projection of the cost of this measure outlined by the Deputy. Fuel Allowance is a household-based payment, and a carer will very often live with and care for a person who are already in receipt of Fuel Allowance in their own right. The Department does not hold data on this cohort.
As part of Budget 2025 it was announced that from January 2025 Carers Allowance would be considered a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance purposes. However, to qualify for the payment those in receipt of Carers Allowance must satisfy all relevant qualifying conditions.
A change in the qualifying criteria such as allowing all those in receipt of Carers Allowance to automatically qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment, would have to be considered in the context of budgetary negotiations. However, any such measure would change the targeted nature of the scheme.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
