Written answer
Social Welfare Payments
Extending fuel allowance as proposed would cost an estimated €1.4 billion annually, potentially enabling multiple payments per household with several pensioners.
409. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection estimated additional full-year cost of increasing fuel allowance by €20, extending the payment period to 32 weeks and extending eligibility to all pensioners and to all in receipt of the working family payment. [67027/26]
Comment on this
The estimated additional full year cost of increasing Fuel Allowance by €20 per week coupled with the increase of 4 weeks to the Fuel Allowance season and paying all pensioners and recipients of Working Family Payment is €1.4 billion.
The additional number of pensioners and Working Family Payment recipients is based on the number of pensioners and Working Family Payment recipients who are not in receipt of a Fuel Allowance payment in August 2026. Schemes included for additional pensioners are State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Non-Contributory), Bereaved Partner’s (Contributory) Pension and Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension.
It should be noted that extending eligibility to all pensioners, as specified in the Deputy's question, would require removing the aspect of eligibility that specifies one Fuel Allowance payment per household. This may result in a households where two or more pensioners reside receiving two or more Fuel Allowance payments.
The costing is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the number of recipient.