Written answer
Social Welfare Benefits
Budget 2026 extended Fuel Allowance to Working Family Payment recipients, with 470,000 households expected to qualify, subject to county-level fluctuations.
71. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of households that will receive the fuel allowance in the 2026/2027 season, by county. [67287/26]
Comment on this
The Fuel Allowance scheme is a means-tested payment that assists qualifying households with their heating costs during the winter season. Budget 2026 extended eligibility for Fuel Allowance to recipients of the Working Family Payment, increasing the total number of households expected to benefit from the scheme to 470,000.
Based on the most recent county-level data provided for August 2026, the estimated number of households that will receive Fuel Allowance in the 2026/2027 fuel season by county set out below.
Note: The figures represent the most recent available departmental data. As the Fuel Allowance scheme is demand-led and the number of qualified households continuously fluctuates as recipients join and exit the scheme, final recipient numbers for the 2026/27 season may differ from these estimates.