The 2024-2025 Fuel Allowance seasons has begun, with Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys confirming the allowance will be paid to over 400,00 households from this week.
The means-tested payment will be paid over the course of 28 weeks at a weekly rate of €33, or alternatively can be paid in two payments of €462 each.
A single person over the the age of 70 can have means of €512 per week to receive the payment, while a couple can have means of €1,024 per week.
The amount of savings disregarded in the over 70s means test has been increased from €20,000 to €50,000.
In the case of a couple where only one person is over 70, they will be assessed under the over 70s means test criteria.
The weekly means threshold for those aged under 70 was increased in Budget 2023 by €80 per week, up to €200 above the weekly rate of the state contributory pension.
Announcing the beginning of payments, Minister Humphreys said: “The Fuel Allowance plays a vital role in supporting hundreds of thousands of families with their heating costs over the winter months.
“Over the 28-week period, the Fuel Allowance is worth €924 for households who receive it.”
Minister Humphreys also said: “I am examining the criteria as part of [Budget 2025] to see how we can help more families help qualify because the one thing I don’t want to see is any old person afraid to turn on their heating.”
Last month, Minister Humphreys announced an expansion of the Fuel Allowance to employment support scheme participants, including those on the Rural Social Scheme.
For this Fuel Allowance season, the period a person spends on an employment support scheme will count towards the qualifying period for Fuel Allowance.
These employment support schemes include the Community Employment (CE) scheme, Tús, and the Rural Social Scheme.
The measure will benefit those that leave a qualifying social welfare payment (including the State Pension, Disability Allowance, Farm Assist and Jobseekers’ Transitional Payment) to engage in an employment support scheme.
Those who move onto a qualifying social welfare payment or Fuel Allowance, following completion of an employment support scheme, will also be able to use the period spent on the employment support scheme to satisfy the payment period requirement for Fuel Allowance.
The 2024/2025 Fuel Allowance season will begins today (September 23) and will end on April 4.