Household Benefits Package

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ALEXA

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My aunt who is in her seventies has been awarded the Widow's Pension after the death of her husband last year. She had never previously claimed the old age pension as he had a business but the business was in trouble and ceased to exist following his death. She has very little savings and her only income is the Widow's Pension but I would like to know if she would qualify for the Household Benefits Package as this would help towards the cost of her heating or electricity. She is worried about putting on the heat too much. I also saw some info on the Winter Fuel Allowance and wonder if she could apply for this? Is it a case of applying for one or the other or can pensioners get both? Unfortunately I have little knowledge in this area and so would appreciate and advice offered.
 
She can also apply for the Fuel Allowance - usually an application is dealt with at the same time as the application for the primary Social Welfare claim. The Fuel scheme ends in April and will start again in Sept/Oct.

There is no means test for people under 70 either, once they are getting one of the qualifying payments listed on the page linked above.
The only means test is for people between 66 and 70 who are not getting a qualifying payment.
 
gipimann said:
She can also apply for the Fuel Allowance - usually an application is dealt with at the same time as the application for the primary Social Welfare claim. The Fuel scheme ends in April and will start again in Sept/Oct.

There is no means test for people under 70 either, once they are getting one of the qualifying payments listed on the page linked above.
The only means test is for people between 66 and 70 who are not getting a qualifying payment.
Click to expand...


You may qualify for a Fuel Allowance if you are getting:
  • State Pension (Contributory) or State Pension (Non-Contributory)
  • State Pension (Transition)
  • Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension or Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension
  • Incapacity Supplement under the Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme
  • Blind Pension
  • Invalidity Pension
  • Disability Allowance
  • Deserted Wife's Benefit or Allowance
  • One-Parent Family Payment
  • Guardian's Payment (Contributory) or Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory)
  • Farm Assist
  • Pre-Retirement Allowance
  • Prisoner's Wife's Allowance
  • Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (15 months)
  • Long-term Jobseeker's Allowance (390 days) (Fuel Allowance is payable to people who have been getting a jobseeker’s payment for 390 days, if they satisfy the relevant qualifying conditions. Days of unemployment on Jobseeker's Benefit count towards the 390 days if the Jobseeker’s Benefit claim was immediately before the award of Jobseeker’s Allowance.)
  • Social Security Pension from an EE/EEA country or a country with whom Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement
  • Special Department of Defence Allowance
  • Or if you are taking part in certain schemes (Back to Work Allowance (BTWA), Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA), Rural Social Scheme, Tús, JobBridge, Revenue Job Assist or Community Employment) and are entitled to keep your secondary benefits
And
You live alone or only with:
  • A dependent spouse, civil partner or cohabitant and/or dependent children
  • Other people getting one of the qualifying payments who would also be eligible for a Fuel Allowance in their own right
  • A person who is getting Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit and is caring for you or for your dependent spouse, partner or cohabitant
  • A person getting short-term Jobseeker's Allowance or basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance
And
You and other members of your household are unable to provide for your heating needs from your own resources.
You will not qualify for a Fuel Allowance if:
  • Your heating needs are met under a deed transferring property
  • You live with someone who is not getting one of the qualifying payments for the Fuel Allowance
  • You are on a contributory payment and have income above the means test limits
 
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Thanks guys for all the info. She is getting Wodow's Non-Contributary Pension and is in her late seventies with no other source of income so both these fuel benefits would be very helpful.
 
If she's living alone, she may be entitled to a Living Alone Increase (currently €7.70 pw). This may already be in payment as it's processed by the primary scheme area.

If she doesn't have it, contact the Widow's Non-Contributory Pension section

Note: The main SW information page on the Living Alone Increase doesn't list Widow's Non-Contributory as a qualifying income, but the Operational Guidelines do include it on the list of qualifying payments.

While checking this information, I noticed that widows/widowers should transfer to State Pension (non-contributory) at age 66 - the maximum payment is higher (€219 for the state pension vs €188 for the Widow's non-con).

State Pension (formerly called the Old Age Pension) also attracts a higher rate for persons aged 80 and over. Perhaps you could double-check that she's on the correct pension?
 
Yes gipimann, she is in receipt of the Living Alone increase. Initially she went to her local Citizens' Information to find out what pension she may be entitled to so I think she must be in receipt of the correct one. She felt that the Widow's Pension may have been awarded to her instead of the Old Age Non-Contributary so that it could not be backdated given the fact that she never applied for any pension prior to this. I think they would only back-date it for perhaps 6 months but anyway this did not happen as she was allocated the WP. I thought she would have been told about the Fuel Allowances by Citizens Information but apparently not but this is not a problem as I can help her with her application.
 
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