# Heating allowance



## roker (13 Apr 2020)

I understood that the Heating allowance had been extended until 8th May.
Mine stopped as normal end of March.
Has anyone else noticed this?


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## mathepac (13 Apr 2020)

Indeed you are correct about the fuel allowance according to Citizen's Information link below. I heard no announcement cancelling the extension  https://www.citizensinformation.ie/...a_social_welfare_benefits/fuel_allowance.html


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## roker (14 Apr 2020)

Reply from Social Welfare

The fuel season was due to cease last week but due to the pandemic the Government has extended it for a further 4 weeks, however you will not begin to receive your additional payment until Friday 24th April 2020. (Including one week in arrears of fuel).
Regards


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## mathepac (19 Apr 2020)

Anecdotally, Fuel Allowance recipients should have received a single once-off payment of €24.50 on Friday last 17th April. 

Those entitled to the fuel allowance should receive a two-week Fuel Allowance payment of €49.00 with their other benefits during the week-ending Friday 24th April and a single week's payment of €24.50 with their other benefits during the week-ending Friday 8th May.

Unnecessarily complex way of doing something very simple like extending a benefit entitlement by 4 weeks. Trust the "Deepartmints" to complicate it. I'll keep saying it, routine work requires routine workers, exceptions require management.  We ain't got none, just overpaid drones apparently.


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## jpd (19 Apr 2020)

Why do you think that *extending the benefit* would be *something very simple*?

It could be as simple as changing a date or as complex as setting up a new payment regime. 

Given the convoluted and myriad social welfare payments we have instituted over the years in an ad-hoc manner to satisfy the needs of politicians in response to demands from the electorate, I rather suspect that it is quite a complex task to extend the payment without breaking some other part of the payments system.


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## mathepac (19 Apr 2020)

To answer your question directly, because it is a date driven payment with defined start and end dates each year, all known in advance. The payment period has been extended in other years without causing problems e.g. extended for prolonged cold periods.


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## NewEdition (19 Apr 2020)

Do people actually need this heating benefit extended with the current weather?
Should the money no go towards the areas that actually need it now and urgently such as the HSE?
Is this given in cash or is it an automatic deduction from bills?
Hopefully the latter as how is the cash proven to be used for its purpose?


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## twofor1 (19 Apr 2020)

NewEdition said:


> Is this given in cash or is it an automatic deduction from bills?
> Hopefully the latter as how is the cash proven to be used for its purpose?



I personally believe most pensioners put this money towards trying to keep themselves warm and comfortable in this difficult time.

There are nice spells recently during the day, mornings and evenings are still very cold though, but yes these pensioners could be spending this modest amount on sherry, hash or whatever.


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## roker (19 Apr 2020)

jpd said:


> Why do you think that *extending the benefit* would be *something very simple*?
> 
> It could be as simple as changing a date or as complex as setting up a new payment regime.
> 
> Given the convoluted and myriad social welfare payments we have instituted over the years in an ad-hoc manner to satisfy the needs of politicians in response to demands from the electorate, I rather suspect that it is quite a complex task to extend the payment without breaking some other part of the payments system.


It's further complicated because they changed the pension payments to every 2 weeks


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## NewEdition (19 Apr 2020)

twofor1 said:


> I personally believe most pensioners put this money towards trying to keep themselves warm and comfortable in this difficult time.
> 
> There are nice spells recently during the day, mornings and evenings are still very cold though, but yes these pensioners could be spending this modest amount on sherry, hash or whatever.


Ok.. so its for pensioners. I did not realise that. However vouchers or whatever other similar means would be better than giving cash. That will ensure the money serves the purpose it has been budgeted for.


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## mathepac (19 Apr 2020)

Ok.. so, whatever.  Don't allow your age prejudice and lack of knowledge about a topic stop you running off at the keyboard.


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## jpd (20 Apr 2020)

Snap!


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## twofor1 (20 Apr 2020)

NewEdition said:


> However vouchers or whatever other similar means would be better than giving cash. That will ensure the money serves the purpose it has been budgeted for.


It’s  €24.50 for an additional 4 weeks.

I think those administering the scheme have better things to be doing.


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## NewEdition (20 Apr 2020)

Sorry.. I am lost here.
Because of covid19 more money is being given to elderly people to cover heating when it is not required.
If we are still impacted by Covid in June, July, will it still be extended?
How does that make sense?

I have eldery parents myself and they probably get this allowance, but I dont see how it is needed for them, considering their pensions are the same amount, cost of living has not increased and bills have not changed.


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## dereko1969 (20 Apr 2020)

You are lost, maybe stop digging.

They're being required to stay indoors which would likely lead to higher heating/electricity bills. In the grand scheme of things it is nothing.


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## Sue Ellen (20 Apr 2020)

twofor1 said:


> I personally believe most pensioners put this money towards trying to keep themselves warm and comfortable in this difficult time.
> 
> There are nice spells recently during the day, mornings and evenings are still very cold though





NewEdition said:


> Sorry.. I am lost here.
> Because of covid19 more money is being given to elderly people to cover heating when it is not required.



No need to be lost, your question had already been answered by twofor1.


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## Black Sheep (20 Apr 2020)

And if you had a UK pension they would pay you your fuel allowance even if you had retired to the south of Spain or the Bahamas or  the Shetland Islands where you might really use it for fuel.


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## mathepac (20 Apr 2020)

twofor1 said:


> I think those administering the scheme have better things to be doing.


No for those administering the scheme it's their job; they work in the Household Benefits section.


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## roker (22 Apr 2020)

Black Sheep said:


> And if you had a UK pension they would pay you your fuel allowance even if you had retired to the south of Spain or the Bahamas or  the Shetland Islands where you might really use it for fuel.


That is incorrect, I knew  an old couple that retired to Spain and they could not get their UK heating allowance


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## Baby boomer (22 Apr 2020)

NewEdition said:


> Ok.. so its for pensioners.


Not just for pensioners.  Unemployed, lone parents, etc, can get it too if long-term, ie on Jobseekers Allowance rather than Benefit.


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## lughildanach (6 May 2020)

Its the Fuel Allowance that was extended.

The Heating Supplement paid under the SWA Scheme remains available (as it always has done) to those whose medical condition requires exceptional heating costs and who cannot afford them from their current income.  You can actually get both the Fuel Allowance and the Heating Supplement if the costs are high enough to justify it.


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