Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

303. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of fuel allowance; the number of applications for fuel allowance; the number of refusals for fuel allowance over the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29811/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Fuel Allowance is a means tested payment of €24.50 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €686 each year) from October to April, to low income households, at an estimated cost of €295.35 million in 2020. This figure includes the additional four weeks of the Allowance which were paid to support these vulnerable households during the COVID-19 emergency. The purpose of the payment is to assist households with their winter heating costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the heating costs and is not intended to meet these costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.

Current figures indicate that approximately 362,000 households are in receipt of Fuel Allowance. Those who qualified for Fuel Allowance last year automatically receive the payment again this year provided they continue to fulfil the eligibility requirements. They do not therefore need to re-apply. Due to the payment of Fuel Allowance across different IT platforms, accurate numbers of claims received and disallowed are not readily available. However, based on the information available, approximately 27,500 applications have been received in 2020 to date, with 14,500 disallowed. Approximately 21,600 were disallowed in 2019, 22,000 in 2018 and 21,100 in 2017.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.