Eligibility for the Fuel Allowance payment has been expanded to include an additional 50,000 families, starting today.
Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary has announced that all who are receiving the Working Family Payment will now also be eligible for the Fuel Allowance payment, coming into effect next week.
Payments will be backdated to January, and are worth a total of €38 per week.
The announcement also comes as home heating oil and fuel prices have spiked in recent days following the outbreak of war in Iran and the Middle East.
Donegal Daily recently revealed that home heating providers in the county had spiked their prices by over €50 in just a few weeks.
Announcing the expansion of the Fuel Allowance payment today, Minister Calleary said that these measures will help hard-working families pay their energy bills.
“An additional 50,000 working families are now eligible for the Fuel Allowance. This means that hardworking families across the country on lower incomes will receive additional help with their energy bills. I am delighted to have introduced this important expansion as part of my first budget,” he said in a statement.
“The Fuel Allowance plays a vital role in supporting families with their heating costs over the winter months. The expansion I am announcing today means there are over 470,000 households now receiving this valuable support.”
“This is a targeted, practical intervention that will help working families manage energy costs and reduce financial pressure during the winter months, and it reflects a broader commitment: to ensure that work is rewarded, that families are supported, and that no child grows up in poverty.”
Fuel Allowance eligibility expanded to Working Family Payment recipients was last modified: March 4th, 2026 by Staff Writer