Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 September 2025
149. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to extend automatic entitlement to the household benefits package, the fuel allowance payment, and the additional needs payment to anyone living with a life-limiting cancer diagnosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50572/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn general, access to the Household Benefits Package and the Fuel Allowance payment for those aged under 66 is a secondary benefit linked to a person being in receipt of certain primary social protection payments, many of them illness related. Entitlement to these primary social protection payments is not provided on the basis of a diagnosis but on the basis of the impact of that diagnosis on the individual concerned.
Extending the eligibility to include automatic entitlement to the Household Benefits Package, Fuel Allowance and Additional Needs Payment for cancer patients with a terminal diagnosis would change the nature of the schemes, would require additional funding and would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
Additional Needs Payments are available to people who have essential expenses, which they cannot meet from their own resources, including people who face difficulties in meeting fuel bills. In addition, a Heating Supplement may be paid to assist people that have exceptional heating costs due to ill health, infirmity or a medical condition and are unable to meet those costs out of household income. Heating Supplement can be paid throughout the full year.
There is no provision for an exemption of a medical condition from the decision process for Additional Needs Payments. Any person who considers that they may have an entitlement to an Additional Needs Payment is encouraged to contact their local Community Welfare Service.
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 this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
