Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 June 2026
42. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider including retired public servants who did not pay the higher rate insurance contribution while they were employed for consideration in the fuel allowance scheme and any other pension linked benefits that they are currently excluded from. [46259/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Fuel Allowance Scheme is means tested and assists pensioners and other welfare dependent householders with meeting the cost of their heating needs during the winter season. The allowance represents a contribution towards a person's normal heating expenses. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.
A person aged 66 or over does not need to be in receipt of a Social Welfare payment to apply for Fuel Allowance. Therefore, retired public servants aged 66 or over can access the payment subject to satisfying the relevant qualifying conditions.
With regards to the Household Benefits Package all persons over the age of 70 can receive the Household Benefits Package, with one package provided per household. There is no requirement that a person must be in receipt of a pension from my department.
A public servant can qualify for the Household Benefits Package when aged between 66 and 69 subject to certain qualifying conditions and satisfying a means test. This ensures that those public servants who need the support the most do qualify for the Household Benefits Package.
The Living Alone Increase is a secondary payment. It is not a scheme or a stand-alone payment, but it is a supplement to a primary social protection payment of €22 per week made to people aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone.
For those aged 66 or over, payments eligible for the Living Alone Increase include State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Non-contributory), Bereaved Partner’s (Contributory) Pension, Bereaved Partner's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme, Incapacity Supplement under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme and Deserted Wife's Benefit. The Living Alone Increase is also paid to people aged under 66 who live alone and are in receipt of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Incapacity Supplement or Blind Pension.
Prior to 6 April 1995, civil and public servants did not have access to the full range of social insurance benefits as their terms of employment protected them against the main contingencies of illness and old age, and the risk of unemployment was not considered a factor due to the nature of their employment. Consequently, such contributors pay less in social insurance contributions in return for fewer social insurance benefits.
The State Pension (Non-contributory) is available to those who satisfy the means-test and who are ordinarily resident in the state, regardless of their social insurance contribution history. The State Pension (Non-contributory) is a qualifying payment for the Living Alone Increase, regardless of the rate of payment.
There are no circumstances where the Living Alone Increase can be paid to people who are not in receipt of a primary qualifying payment from my Department or who do not meet the living alone eligibility criteria. Any change to the qualifying criteria for these payments would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
