Following the announced Budget 2026 increases to primary Social Welfare payments, the allowable means for Fuel Allowance purposes for those aged 66 and over was increase by €10 for a single person to €534 and by €20 for a couple to €1,068. This ensured that no household lost entitlement to Fuel Allowance due to the increase to primary Social Welfare payments.
The increased allowable means threshold for people who are married, cohabiting or in a civil partnership, acknowledges that the overall cost of living for this cohort is higher than for a single person.
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 further changes to the criteria for accessing the Fuel Allowance scheme would require additional funding for the scheme and therefore any decision to increase the Fuel Allowance thresholds would have to form part of overall budgetary negotiations.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
