A weekly social welfare payment worth €924 will return next week.

The Fuel Allowance is a weekly social welfare scheme that is paid from September to April every year to help people with their heating bills. It is paid in either 28 weekly instalments of €33 or two lump sum payments of €462.

The payment will return next Monday, September 25. There have been calls to majorly expand the scheme in Budget 2024.

Read more: Social welfare Ireland: Pensioners set to get up to €20 increase in Budget 2024

Read more: Budget 2024: All the social welfare changes we know so far with less than a month to go

The Oireachtas Social Protection committee has said that the 28 week payment schedule should be lengthened and the amount increased "in line with home energy inflation".

They also called for a new half-rate Fuel Allowance to be introduced for those with an income of €140-€280 above the relevant social welfare rates. It has been reported that the Government is looking at making more pensioners eligible for the Fuel Allowance in Budget 2024.

Here's everything you need to know about applying and being eligible for the payment:

Who is eligible?

To get Fuel Allowance you must:

  • Live alone
  • Be getting a qualifying payment (unless you are 70 or over)
  • Satisfy a means test

You must also live in Ireland. You cannot get Fuel Allowance if your heating costs are provided in full as part of your accommodation.

In some cases, you may not live alone to avail of the payment. You can still be eligible if you live 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

How to apply

The Fuel Allowance season usually starts towards the end of September. If you apply for Fuel Allowance after the start of the Fuel Allowance season, it will not be backdated.

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

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

If you are aged under 70, fill in the NFS1 form to apply for fuel allowance (pdf).

If you are aged 70 or over, fill in the NFS2 form to apply for fuel allowance (pdf).

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.

For more information on applying, you can click here.

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