Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 February 2026
33. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has given consideration to removing means testing for people with an end-of-life cancer diagnosis for access to social protection schemes such as household benefits package and fuel allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14956/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAccess 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 removing the means testing to the Household Benefits Package and Fuel Allowance for cancer patients with a terminal diagnosis would change the nature of the schemes and would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
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.
However, I fully understand the financial challenges associated with such a diagnosis and to this end, I met with officials from the Irish Cancer Society last year to discuss their concerns and also to discuss the challenges in relation to providing access to particular schemes solely based on an end-of-life cancer diagnosis.
With this in mind, it is important to note that Additional Needs Payments are available through my Department for 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.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
