THOUSANDS of people won’t get the full €924 Fuel Allowance payment that is due to be handed out before Christmas over backdating rules.
In another blow for social welfare recipients receiving the payment, they may miss out on a Christmas bonus when the budget is announced next week.
Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys[/caption]
The Fuel Allowance is paid for 28 weeks throughout winter to help with the cost of heating homes.
The payment is either paid weekly and collected with your other social welfare payments, or paid in two lump sums.
The current rate of the allowance is €33 euro a week, which amounts to €924 over the course of the 28 week period.
The period started this week on Monday September 23, 2024 and will run until Friday April 4, 2025.
However, those eligible who have not yet applied have been warned that the payment will not be back dated.
This means if you apply four weeks into the period, you will not receive the payment backdated for the first four weeks, instead you will just be paid the remaining weeks.
If you have previously received the fuel allowance you do not need to apply again each year.
The social welfare Christmas bonuses are usually issued in early December but it is rumoured the Government may be set to announce an additional bonus in next weeks budget.
This would see Social Welfare recipients receive two bonuses before Christmas.
In the budget last year, those receiving the Fuel Allowance missed out on a Christmas bonus – and Budget 2025 may have the same outcome.
There are certain eligibility requirements for the payment for people under 70 including living alone or living with specific people, satisfying a means test or getting a qualifying payment.
People who are over 70 do not need to meet these criteria to qualify.
One of the criteria requirements for under 70s is a means test which looks at your income.
You will usually qualify for the payment if you are already receiving a social assistance means tested payment.
AGE LIMIT REDUCED
MINISTER Humphreys has said there is a possibility that the fuel allowance age requirement could be reduced in Budget 2025.
She said: “I have to say last year I expanded the fuel allowance to the over 70s and that was a very, very welcome measure because the one thing we don’t want is old people in their home afraid to turn on the heating.
“So this year I am looking at maybe reducing that age to those over 66 when they retire – that is something I am looking at.”
The payment is reportedly under consideration to be expanded from those aged 70 and over to those over 66.
On top of passing the means test, you must either live on your own or with a spouse, dependant children, someone receiving Carers Benefit or Carers Allowance or someone receiving short term Jobseeker’s Allowance or Supplementary Welfare allowance.
The person living with you may also be in receipt of a qualifying payment, be over 70 years of age or be renting a room from you.
You must also be getting a qualifying payment unless you are over 70.
WHAT ARE THE QUALIFYING PAYMENTS?
Social welfare payments are either based on your PRSI contributions (social insurance payments) or means-tested social assistance payments.
The qualifying social insurance payments are:
- State Pension (Contributory)
- Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension
- Incapacity Supplement under the Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme
- Invalidity Pension
- Guardian’s Payment (Contributory)
- Death Benefit under the Occupational Injuries Scheme
- A pension or benefit 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)
The qualifying social assistance payments are:
- State Pension (Non-Contributory)
- Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension
- Disability Allowance
- Blind Pension
- Deserted Wife’s Benefit or Allowance
- One-Parent Family Payment (OFP)
- Guardian’s Payment (Non-Contributory)
- Farm Assist
- Jobseeker’s Transitional payment (JST)
You can check your eligibility and find out everything you need to qualify for the fuel allowance on citizensadvice.ie.
APPLYING FOR THE PAYMENT
You can apply online through your MyGovID account.
If you can not apply online you may fill out an NSF1 from if you are under 70 or a NSF2 form if you are over 70.
These forms are available at your post office and help filling out the forms will be given at Intreo Centres, Social Welfare Branch Offices or Citizens Information Centres.
