The Mayor of Clare Councillor Tony Mulcahy is urging the Government not to reduce the weekly rates payable under the Fuel Allowance Scheme in next December’s Budget.Earlier this month, thousands of people across Ireland received the first of 32 fuel support payments. The weekly rates payable are EUR20 (Fuel Allowance) and EUR23.90 in Smokeless Fuel areas, including Ennis.
According to Mayor Mulcahy: “The vast majority of people in receipt of payments are state pensioners, widows and people with disabilities who are more vulnerable to the effects of cold weather. The additional pressures faced by people dependent on social welfare payments means it is essential that fuel allowance payments are not lowered in the upcoming Budget”.
The Shannon-based Councillor continued: “While I acknowledge that the Government has doubled the fuel allowance in recent years, I would ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs to consider further increases to help alleviate the effects of fuel poverty on the elderly and low income households”,
He added: “The existing fuel allowance of EUR20 a week barely covers the cost of one bag of coal, which is not even enough to keep the smallest of homes heated for a week. The inevitable rise in oil prices over the coming months will only serve to further compound the problem.”
“It is incumbent on the Government to do all that it can to ensure that vulnerable sections of our community are provided with as much assistance as possible”, concluded Mayor Mulcahy.
The Fuel Allowance can be paid alongside the Household Benefits package, which provides support for people over 66 years of age and certain other people under that age who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or fulfil a means test. The Household Benefits package includes the electricity allowance or the gas allowance. The annual value of the schemes is approx EUR500 per household. Expenditure in 2009 on ESB/gas allowance is expected to be in excess of EUR200million.
Budget 2010 will be presented to the Dáil on Wednesday, 9th December 2009.
