Are my parents entitled to fuel allowance?

honeybear

Dad (retired farmer) & Mum (housewife) are 80 & 74 respectively. They are in receipt of Old age pension. Watching budget here and heard mention of fuel allowance. When I asked them whether they were entitled to it they had heard nothing of it. Who is entitled to fuel allowance?

Try_harder

I think you have to live alone to qualify
They can live together- but no one else must live there.

It is means tested

honeybear

Try_harder wrote: »

I think you have to live alone to qualify

Thanks for your very quick response!

jomalone14

You may qualify for a Fuel Allowance if you are getting:

State Pension (Contributory) or State Pension (Non-Contributory)
Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension or Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension
Incapacity Supplement under the Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme
Blind Pension
Invalidity Pension
Disability Allowance
Deserted Wife's Benefit or Allowance
One-Parent Family Payment
Guardian's Payment (Contributory) or Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory)
Farm Assist
Pre-Retirement Allowance
Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance for more than 455 days (over 15 months - it is paid on a 7-day week basis so 15 months’ payment is reached after day 455)
Jobseeker's Allowance for more than 390 days (over 15 months - it is paid on a 6-day week basis so 15 months’ payment is reached after day 390). Fuel Allowance is payable to people who have been getting Jobseeker’s Allowance for more than 390 days, if they satisfy the relevant qualifying conditions. Days of unemployment on Jobseeker's Benefit count towards the 390 days if the Jobseeker’s Benefit claim was immediately before the award of Jobseeker’s Allowance. You can keep your Fuel Allowance if you move from One-Parent Family Payment, Carer’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Transitional payment to Jobseeker's Allowance.
Jobseeker's Transitional payment
Death Benefit under the Occupational Injuries Scheme
Social Security Pension from an EE/EEA country or a country with whom Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement (provided there is an equivalent Irish payment).
Or if you are taking part in certain schemes - Back to Work Allowance, Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA), Rural Social Scheme, Tús or Community Employment and are entitled to keep your secondary benefits
And

You live alone or only with:

A dependent spouse, civil partner or cohabitant and/or dependent children
Other people getting one of the qualifying payments who would also be eligible for a Fuel Allowance in their own right
A person who is getting Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit and is caring for you or for your dependent spouse, partner or cohabitant on a full-time basis
A person getting short-term Jobseeker's Allowance or basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance
And

You and other members of your household are unable to provide for your heating needs from your own resources.

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 qualifying contributory payment and have income above the means test limits (see below)
You are getting one of the following contributory payments: Jobseeker's Benefit, Illness Benefit, Occupational Injuries Benefit, Maternity Benefit or Disablement Benefit. Note that you do not qualify for Fuel Allowance if you are getting any of these payments with a qualifying payment, for example, a half-rate Maternity Benefit with a One-Parent Family Payment.
Carer's Allowance

Carer's Allowance is not a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance. However, you may qualify for Fuel Allowance if you are getting half-rate Carer's Allowance and another qualifying social welfare payment:

If you are getting a non-contributory social welfare payment and a half-rate Carer's Allowance, then Fuel Allowance is payable (if you meet all the criteria).
If you are getting a contributory social welfare payment and a half-rate Carer's Allowance, then the value of the half-rate Carer's Allowance will be assessed in the means test for Fuel Allowance (see below).
Means test for Fuel Allowance
Fuel Allowance is a means-tested payment. If you are getting a non-contributory social welfare payment, you are accepted as satisfying the means test. If you are on an employment support scheme or if you are getting a Back to Education Allowance you are entitled to keep your Fuel Allowance if you continue to satisfy the conditions – including the means test.

The Fuel Allowance means test is linked to the maximum rate of the State Pension (Contributory).

You can have a combined weekly income of €100 above the maximum State Pension (Contributory) for your situation and still be eligible for a Fuel Allowance. This means that you can have capital/savings, providing they are less than €58,000, and be eligible for a Fuel Allowance. (€58,000 is equivalent to just over €100 a week under the capital means assessment rules.)

For example:

The assessable income limit for a single person under 80 is €343.30 (€100 plus €243.30)
The assessable income limit for a couple (where the qualified adult is aged under 66) is €505.40 (€100 plus €243.30 plus €162.10)
The assessable income limit for a couple (where the qualified adult is aged 66 or over) is €561.30 (€100 plus €243.30 plus €218)
If you are over 80, add an extra €10 to the appropriate DEASP payment rate.

Getting a pension or benefit from another country
If you are getting a pension/benefit or equivalent payment from a country covered by EU Regulations or a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement (provided there is an equivalent Irish payment), you may qualify for a Fuel Allowance, provided you satisfy the qualifying conditions mentioned above and you are:

Legally resident in Ireland
And

Aged 66 or over
Or

Under 66 and getting an Invalidity Pension (for over 12 months), a Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension or an equivalent payment from another country.
Where more than one person in a household qualifies
Only one Fuel Allowance payment is paid to a household. If two or more people who would qualify for a Fuel Allowance live together, a single Fuel Allowance is paid to one qualified person in that household.

If everyone in the household is getting a means-tested social welfare payment, they can decide who applies for Fuel Allowance.

If one of the people living in the household is getting a contributory (non means-tested) payment, such as State Pension (Contributory) or Invalidity Pension, they should apply first (so a means test can be carried out on their income). Alternatively, the other person can apply for Fuel Allowance but they must include information about the means of the person getting a contributory payment in their application.

Who should apply for a Fuel Allowance if two or more qualifying people live in the same household
Payment Person who should apply for Fuel Allowance
Contributory social welfare pension and long-term Jobseeker's Allowance Social welfare pensioner
Pre-Retirement Allowance and contributory social welfare pension Social welfare pensioner
Pre-Retirement Allowance and long-term Jobseeker's Allowance Person receiving Pre-Retirement Allowance
Contributory social welfare pension and social security payment from another country Social welfare pensioner
Social security payment from another country and Long-term Jobseeker's Allowance Social security pensioner
Telephone Support Allowance

Since 4 June 2018, if you’re getting Fuel Allowance as well as the Living Alone Increase, you will automatically qualify for a Telephone Support Allowance of €2.50 per week. It is paid separately from your primary payment and is intended to help with the cost of communications and/or a home alert system. As this allowance is paid automatically to people who qualify, you do not need to apply for it.

The Department has published useful FAQs about the Telephone Support Allowance on welfare.ie.

Rates
Weekly payments

The Fuel Allowance is €22.50 per week and is paid during the fuel season. The last fuel season started in October and ran for 27 weeks.

Lump sum payments

The first lump sum of €315 will be paid in the first week of October 2018. The second lump sum is expected to be €292.50 and will be paid in the second week of January 2019.

If you have not already chosen to be paid in 2 lump sums and you wish to do so - see 'Choosing lump sum or weekly payments' below.

How to apply
New applicants for Fuel Allowance need to fill in application form NFS 1 (pdf). This application form is also available from your local post office. You can also request it by texting FORM FUEL followed by your name and address to 51909.

If you apply for the Fuel Allowance after the start of the heating season (in October), the allowance will not be backdated.

If you are getting a payment from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection or a social security payment from a country covered by EU Regulations or a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement, the Fuel Allowance will be included in your weekly payment. You do not need to reapply for the Fuel Allowance each year as long as, your circumstances remain the same and you continue to get the same social welfare payment.

If you are not getting a social welfare payment, your Fuel Allowance can be paid directly into your account in a financial institution or you can collect the allowance at your local post office.

Choosing lump sum or weekly payments
You can choose to get your Fuel Allowance paid weekly or in 2 lump sums.

If you got your total allowance for the 2017-2018 fuel season paid in 2 lump sums, your Fuel Allowance for 2018-2019 will automatically be paid in 2 lump sums.

If you got your allowance for the 2017-2018 fuel season paid weekly, your Fuel Allowance for 2018-2019 will automatically be paid weekly.

If you want to switch to lump sums or a weekly payment for 2018-2019, you must fill in form CPF 1 (pdf) and send it to the section that pays your primary payment before 21 September 2018.

This form is also available from your local post office, Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office. You can also text FORM FUELCHANGE followed by your name and address to 51909.

This option is not available to people getting payments under the Rural Social Scheme, Tús, Gateway, Community Employment or Supplementary Welfare Allowance.

Where to apply
Complete and return the form to the section that pays your payment, as set out below.

Where to apply
Payment Send your application to:
Invalidity Pension
Disability Allowance
Incapacity Supplement
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Social Welfare Services Office
Government Buildings
Ballinalee Road
Longford
Ireland
Tel: (043) 334 0000 (If calling from outside the Republic of Ireland please call + 353 43 334 0000)
Locall: 1890 927 770 (Note: the rates charged for using 1890 (Lo-call) numbers may vary)
Homepage: http://www.welfare.ie
Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension
Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension
Deserted Wife's Benefit or Allowance
State Pension (Contributory or Non-Contributory)
Blind Pension
Guardian's Payment (Contributory)
Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory)
Prisoner's Wife's Allowance
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Social Welfare Services
College Road
Sligo
Ireland
Opening Hours: This office does not offer a service to personal callers. All queries must be made using the online enquiry form, by telephone or in writing.
Tel: (071) 915 7100 (If calling from outside the Republic of Ireland please call + 353 71 915 7100)
Locall: 1890 500 000 (Note: the rates charged for using 1890 (Lo-call) numbers may vary)
Homepage: http://www.welfare.ie/
Long-term Jobseeker's Allowance (15 months)
Farm Assist
One-Parent Family Payment or Jobseeker's Transitional payment
Send your completed form to your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.
Long-term Supplementary Welfare Allowance (15 months)
Apply to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection's representative (formerly known as the Community Welfare Officer) at your local office.
People getting a social security payment from a country covered by EU Regulations or a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement (provided there is an equivalent Irish payment)
National Fuel Scheme
Social Welfare Services
College Road
Sligo
Ireland
Tel: (071) 915 7100 (If calling from outside the Republic of Ireland please call + 353 71 915 7100)
Locall: 1890 500 000 (Note: the rates charged for using 1890 (Lo-call) numbers may vary)
Homepage: http://www.welfare.ie
Page edited: 10 September 2018





Related Documents

Combining social insurance contributions from abroad
Combining social insurance contributions paid in Ireland and abroad can help you qualify for a social welfare payment. Find out more.
Household Benefits Package
The Household Benefits Package helps you with the costs of running your household. It includes electricity and gas allowances and a Free Television Licence. It is paid to people over 70 and to people under 70 in some circumstances.
Contact Us

If you have a question relating to this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0761 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm) or you can visit your local Citizens Information Centre.

honeybear

Thanks for your VERY detailed response!

jomalone14

honeybear wrote: »

Thanks for your VERY detailed response!

Copied and pasted from the Citizen's Advice website

Ghekko

Are they getting a state pension? If they get the non contributory pension they'd be entitled to the fuel allowance. Otherwise it's means tested. It's one payment per household as opposed to per person. Hope they qualify as every little helps.

beachhead

Remember the number quoted for citizens information 0761..... is a premium rate number and is not covered by any landline or mobile price plan.It costs at least 30 cent per minute to call.

Squatter

beachhead wrote: »

Remember the number quoted for citizens information 0761..... is a premium rate number and is not covered by any landline or mobile price plan.It costs at least 30 cent per minute to call.

A change that was imposed on Citizens Informations Offices countrywide about 6 years ago by the muppets in the Citizens Information Board, probably at the behest of the Department of Social Welfare which funds the service. :mad:



When you get through to your local Citizens Info Office be sure to immediately ask them to call you straight back - and they will always oblige.