Written answer
Social Welfare Eligibility
The Minister said Carer’s Allowance recipients with low means can already qualify for Fuel Allowance, but extending automatic eligibility equivalent to Working Family Payment recipients requires consideration within wider budgetary constraints. He highlighted planned increases to Carer’s Allowance income disregards, additional supports and Additional Needs Payments for essential heating costs.
46. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in light of the extension of Fuel Allowance eligibility to recipients of the Working Family Payment from 1 January 2026, he will review the eligibility criteria for Fuel Allowance for persons in receipt of Carer's Allowance; whether he acknowledges that some carers with household incomes comparable to those of Working Family Payment recipients are excluded from Fuel Allowance due to the means test; if he will consider introducing equivalent eligibility arrangements for carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66648/26]
Comment on this
From January 2026 recipients of the Working Family Payment recipients automatically qualify for Fuel Allowance Payment. Recipients of the Working Family Payment will be deemed to have satisfied the Fuel Allowance means test and the Household Composition criteria.
Extending the Fuel Allowance payment to Working Family Payment recipients was a significant measure in tackling child poverty. The measure directly supports low paid workers with dependent children with the cost of heating their homes and helps to protect low-income households with dependent children from the effects of increases in Carbon Tax and energy prices.
The measure also supports the commitment within the programme for government to “Enhance supports for lone parents”, as almost two thirds of recipients of the Working Family Payment are single adult households.
Given the Government’s commitment to continue to significantly increase the income disregards for Carer’s Allowance in each Budget with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government, introducing an equivalent eligibility arrangement for the Fuel Allowance for all those in receipt of Carers Allowance would have to be carefully considered as part of the wider budgetary context. The disregards for Carer’s Allowance are now by far the highest income disregards in the social welfare system, far higher than those for any other weekly payment.
Carers Allowance is a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance purposes. Therefore, Carers Allowance recipients who have low means and need support towards the cost of heating their homes can qualify for the payment.
The Government values the role of carers and it is for this reason that they receive significant income supports from the Department. In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers receive additional support in the form of free travel and household benefits for those who live with the person for whom they care and the annual Carer's Support Grant (€2,000) in respect of each person for whom they care.
Finally, the Department of Social Protection provides Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people who have an essential need which they cannot meet from their own resources. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers and can include payments towards essential heating or repair costs.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.