Would I be eligible for the winter Fuel Allowance?

tomhenryford

I have read all the information about it on Citizens Information but I'm still not sure if I would be eligible to receive it in my own personal circumstances.

I had a job for 6 years albeit part-time so for the last 3 years or so I was in receipt of Casual Jobseekers Allowance to support my income. But myself and my father worked for the same company although he was never in receipt of any DSP payment. We were both made redundant in June.

I am now in receipt of full rate Jobseekers Allowance (from the dockets and cheques system to the post office receipt system) and my father qualified for partial rate Jobseekers Benefit of €145 for 9 months.

There are four of us in the house, my mother works full-time (roughly €26K per annum) and my brother is in full time college.

We all (excluding my brother in college) use to contribute to the heating costs every winter because we all worked and I'm 26 and still at home because I can't afford to move out. It was a struggle between heating oil and coal and briquettes last year that we don't know how we are going to manage this year with the loss of two incomes.

I understand from the rules, you have to be in receipt of a payment for more than 351 days so that rules out my father claiming but I'm wondering does anyone know if I would qualify or would the fact that my mother has a full-time job rule that out?

They are both crippled with college fees for my brother and I know finances are seriously stressing them out so before I mention the fuel allowance to them I want to know if I'd have a chance or not.

Sorry for the long post and thank you for any answers.

ABajaninCork

You have to be unemployed for 391 days before you can qualify for the Fuel Allowance. See here.

The allowance is means tested. So your mother's salary would be taken into account. The fact that your parents pay college fees doesn't matter to the State. Looking at the rules, I'd say you don't yet qualify. Might be worth speaking to the CWO?

Is your sibling entitled to apply for bursaries/grants/loans to try to lighten the load for your parents?

tomhenryford

ABajaninCork wrote: »

You have to be unemployed for 391 days before you can qualify for the Fuel Allowance.
The allowance is means tested. So your mother's salary would be taken into account. The fact that your parents pay college fees doesn't matter to the State. Looking at the rules, I'd say you don't yet qualify. Might be worth speaking to the CWO?

Is your sibling entitled to apply for bursaries/grants/loans to try to lighten the load for your parents?

Thanks for the reply. It's the 391 days that is confusing me. Someone told me that because I was in receipt of Casual JA while I was working that those days I wasn't working count towards those 391 days.

I had applied for an internship a couple of weeks ago and I was deemed eligible by the department as they took into account the 4 days out of every 7 days each week that I was unemployed. I also can't see anywhere where it says those 391 days have to be within a certain amount of time, e.g. the last two years. I just don't know if they would be taken into account for this.

tomhenryford

I'm also not sure if days unemployed are based on a 7 day week or a 6 day week. I worked 3 days per week all year round for the past 4 years anyway.

So 4 days unemployed (based on a 7 day week) X 52 weeks = 208 days per week unemployed (that I was claiming for).


And 3 days unemployed (based on a 6 day week) X 52 = 156 days per week unemployed (that I was claiming for).


Even at the lower of 156 x 3 years = 468 days unemployed and receiving assistance in the last three years, so that's why I'm wondering.... but it probably doesn't work like that.

Balagan

tomhenryford wrote: »

I have read all the information about it on Citizens Information but I'm still not sure if I would be eligible to receive it in my own personal circumstances.

I had a job for 6 years albeit part-time so for the last 3 years or so I was in receipt of Casual Jobseekers Allowance to support my income. But myself and my father worked for the same company although he was never in receipt of any DSP payment. We were both made redundant in June.

I am now in receipt of full rate Jobseekers Allowance (from the dockets and cheques system to the post office receipt system) and my father qualified for partial rate Jobseekers Benefit of €145 for 9 months.

There are four of us in the house, my mother works full-time (roughly €26K per annum) and my brother is in full time college.

We all (excluding my brother in college) use to contribute to the heating costs every winter because we all worked and I'm 26 and still at home because I can't afford to move out. It was a struggle between heating oil and coal and briquettes last year that we don't know how we are going to manage this year with the loss of two incomes.

I understand from the rules, you have to be in receipt of a payment for more than 351 days so that rules out my father claiming but I'm wondering does anyone know if I would qualify or would the fact that my mother has a full-time job rule that out?

They are both crippled with college fees for my brother and I know finances are seriously stressing them out so before I mention the fuel allowance to them I want to know if I'd have a chance or not.

Sorry for the long post and thank you for any answers.

You are right in thinking your mother's employment may well make you ineligible (see below) but it might be worth applying anyway.

You will not qualify for a Fuel Allowance if:

Your heating needs are met under a deed transferring property
You live with someone who is not getting one of the qualifying payments for the Fuel Allowance
You are on a contributory payment and have income above the means test limits (see below)
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/extra_social_welfare_benefits/fuel_allowance.html