KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: Am I eligible for the fuel allowance this winter?

AS the days get shorter and temperatures drop, many people will be anxious about the cost of heating their home over the winter. The Fuel Allowance is a means tested social welfare payment to help with the cost of heating your home during the winter months.

What is the current rate of Fuel Allowance?

The current rate of Fuel Allowance is €33 per week. If you qualify for the allowance, it is paid with your social welfare payment on the same day. You can choose to get the Fuel Allowance paid weekly or paid in two lump sums. If you opt for the lump sum, the first installment will be paid in September 2023. The second will be paid in January 2024.

When will the Fuel Allowance be paid?

The Fuel Allowance season normally begins in late September of each year and ends in April. This year’s Fuel Allowance season starts on Monday, 25 September 2023. It will be paid for 28 weeks (until April 5th 2024).

Who can I live with to qualify for the Fuel Allowance?

You must live alone or with:

• A spouse, civil partner or cohabitant who qualifies for an increase on your pension or social welfare payment or is getting a qualifying payment in their own right

• Dependent children

• A person who is getting Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit and is caring for you or for your spouse, partner or cohabitant or qualified child dependant on a full-time basis

• A person getting short-term Jobseeker’s Allowance or basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance

• Other people who are getting a qualifying payment and who would be eligible for a Fuel Allowance in their own right

• A person aged 70 or over

Are there other qualifying conditions?

You must be getting a qualifying social welfare payment or pension (unless you are 70 or over). You must also satisfy a means test. Contact your local Citizens Information Centre to check if you are on a qualifying payment and they will also explain the means test.

What are the income limits for people under 70?

To qualify for Fuel Allowance when you are aged under 70, your total means from all sources must be less than the current maximum rate of State Pension (Contributory) including any increases that you might get for living alone and dependants, plus €200. This is called the assessable income limit.

The current assessable income limit for a single person is €465.30 (€200 plus €265.30). The current assessable income limit for a couple (where the qualified adult is aged under 66) is €642. 

The current assessable income limit for a couple (where the qualified adult is aged 66 or over and under 70) is €703.10 (€200 plus €265.30 plus €237.80).

Is there a different means test for people over 70 for the Fuel Allowance?

Yes. The Over 70s Means Test for Fuel Allowance is as follows:

• a single person over 70 can have income of €500 per week and a couple can have income of €1,000 per week

• people over 70 no longer need to be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment to be eligible for Fuel Allowance

• in the case of a couple where one person is over 70 and one is under 70, they will be assessed under the Over 70s Means Test criteria

• the amount of savings that are disregarded in the means assessment for the Fuel Allowance payment for people aged over 70 has increased from €20,000 to €50,000

How do I  apply for Fuel Allowance?

You can apply for the Fuel Allowance online. You must have a MyGovID account to apply online.

If you can’t apply online, you can use a paper application form. You can get a form from your local Citizens Information Centre. You can also get a form from your local post office or by phoning 0818 200 400. You should ask for the relevant form for your age.

If you apply for Fuel Allowance after the start of the Fuel Allowance season, it will not be backdated.

If you previously received the Fuel Allowance you do not need to reapply for it each year as long as, your circumstances remain the same and you continue to get the same social welfare payment.