I propose to take Questions Nos. 627, 628, 630, 631 and 632 together.
The Fuel Allowance scheme is a means-tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders with their winter heating costs. The payment is made over the winter season from September to April at the weekly rate of €33.00 or, if preferred, by way of two (lump sum) instalments, one in September and one in January. Only one Fuel Allowance is payable per household. Those who qualify for the payment do not need to reapply annually. In Budget 2025, a more generous means test was extended to those aged over 66, with a higher means threshold of €524 for a single person and €1,048 for a couple. Applicants aged over 66 no longer need to be receiving a qualifying social protection payment and the threshold for the capital disregard increased from €20,000 to €50,000. For those aged under 66, the means threshold is now €200 above the appropriate rate of State Pension Contributory for the household.Those receiving Fuel Allowance by 2 instalment (lump sum) payments receive the instalments in September and January each year. The table below details the numbers receiving weekly and instalment payments for the past 3 years:
|
Year
|
Weekly
|
Instalments
|
Total
|
|
2022
|
300,661
|
93,106
|
393,767
|
|
2023
|
309,469
|
108,457
|
417,806
|
|
2024
|
295,072
|
118,872
|
413,944
|
Fuel Allowance is administered across a wide range of qualifying schemes and across different IT platforms and, as a result, the breakdown of applications by channel and average processing times is not available.The table below details the number of recipients on the primary schemes requested:
|
Scheme
|
Weekly
|
Instalments
|
Total
|
|
Carer’s Allowance
|
872
|
1,895
|
2,767
|
|
Disability Allowance
|
52,449
|
27,618
|
80,067
|
|
Invalidity Pension
|
10,204
|
5,025
|
15,229
|
Carer’s Benefit is not a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance. Disability Allowance and Invalidity Pension are paid to those under 66, so they could not qualify for Fuel Allowance under the over 66 qualifying conditions.The overall number of recipients from 2020-2024 and expenditure from 2015-2024 is published in the Department of Social Protection’s Statistical Information On Social Welfare Services Annual Report 2024 on www.gov.ie. The table below shows the statistics for the past 5 years:
|
Year
|
2024
|
2023
|
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
|
Expenditure
|
€510.23m*
|
€501.66m*
|
€576.40m*
|
€315.66m
|
€290.45m
|
|
Recipients
|
413,921
|
411,395
|
386,846
|
366,793
|
375,269
|
* Includes once-off payments to recipients of €400 in November 2022 and €300 in November 2023 and November 2024. The average amount per household is not available as the recipient statistics recorded are for the end of December each year and does not take account of those who entered and exited the scheme during the year.
From November 2021, the Fuel Allowance weekly rate of payment increased from €28.00 to €33.00.
It is not possible to provide a breakdown of part-season payments due to late awards or changes in circumstances. Fuel Allowance applications are awarded from date of receipt of the application. There is no financial loss to the customer if there is any delay in processing the application.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
