Rajan Wilcox
Fuel Allowance is a payment to help with the cost of heating your home during the winter months. It is paid to people who are dependent on a long-term social welfare payment or Health Service Executive (HSE) payments, including one-parent families. The current rate of payment is €33 every week, which equates to €924 in total. The allowance is paid for 28 weeks of the year, from October to April. To qualify for the allowance, your gross weekly income must be below a certain amount to pass the means test. If you are over 70, you don't need to be getting a social welfare payment to avail of the fuel allowance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Allowance amount | €33 per week or €924 in total |
| Payment frequency | Weekly or two lump sums of €462 each |
| Season | Late September to April |
| Duration | 28 weeks |
| Age criteria | Over 66 years or 70 years |
| Income criteria | Weekly income below a certain amount |
| Savings criteria | €50,000 for over-66 individuals |
| Application form | FA CPF 1, NFS 1, or NFS2-O/70 |
| Application deadline | Before the start of the season |
| Application channel | Online, local post office, or Social Welfare Branch |
| Automatic eligibility | Recipients of certain social welfare payments |
| Ineligibility criteria | Heating costs included in accommodation |
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What You'll Learn
Qualifying social welfare payments
Fuel Allowance is a means-tested payment to help with the cost of heating your home during the winter months. It is paid to people who are on a qualifying long-term social welfare payment. The current rate of payment is €33 every week, which works out to €924 in total for the year. The allowance is paid for 28 weeks of the year, from late September or early October to April.
If you are under the age of 70 (or 66 from January 2025), you need to be claiming certain welfare payments to get the Fuel Allowance. For example, State Pension, Disability Allowance, One-Parent Family Payment or Farm Assist. If you are over 70, you do not need to be getting a social welfare payment to qualify for the Fuel Allowance. Instead, it will be based on your PRSI contributions and how much you earn each week.
If you are getting a qualifying social insurance payment and you or your adult dependant is getting a half-rate Carer's Allowance, then your half-rate Carer's Allowance will be taken into account in the means test for the allowance. If you are living with a person who is aged 66 or over, it may be better for your household if they apply for Fuel Allowance.
You can keep your Fuel Allowance if you move to Jobseeker's Allowance from One-Parent Family Payment, Carer's Allowance, or Jobseeker's Transitional Payment. You qualify for Fuel Allowance if you have been getting Jobseeker's Allowance for more than 312 days (over 12 months). Days on Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) and Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) can count towards the 312 days if your JB or PUP was immediately before your JA claim.
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Means testing
Fuel Allowance is a means-tested payment to help with the cost of heating in Ireland during the winter period. The Fuel Allowance season usually lasts 28 weeks, from late September or early October to April. The current rate of payment is €33 every week, which works out to a total of €924 for the season. People can choose to receive the allowance weekly or in two lump-sum payments of €462 each.
To qualify for the allowance, your gross weekly income must be below a certain amount to pass the means test. The income you’re allowed to have for Fuel Allowance is the current maximum rate of the contributory state pension, including any additional benefits you may get for your age, living alone, and dependants up to certain thresholds. If you are getting a qualifying social insurance payment, such as a State Pension (Contributory) or Invalidity Pension, a means test will be carried out on your income. Another qualifying person in the household can also apply for Fuel Allowance, but they must include information about the person getting a social insurance payment.
If you are over 70, you don't have to be getting a social welfare payment to avail of the fuel allowance. It'll be based on your PRSI contributions and how much you earn each week. If you are under the age of 70 (or 66 from January 2025), you need to be claiming certain welfare payments to get the Fuel Allowance. For example, a State pension, Disability Allowance, One-parent family payment, or Farm Assist. If you are aged 66 or over and want to apply, you can complete the Fuel Allowance Scheme Application Form (NFS2 - O/66) and send it to the provided address.
If you are getting a qualifying social insurance payment and you or your adult dependant is getting a half-rate Carer's Allowance, then your half-rate Carer's Allowance will be taken into account in the means test for the allowance. Since January 2023, half-rate Carer’s Allowance and Disablement Benefit payments have not been included in the Fuel Allowance means test. People on non-contributory payments are generally accepted as satisfying the means test.
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Age requirements
If you are under the age of 70 (or 66 from January 2025), you need to be claiming certain welfare payments to get the Fuel Allowance. These welfare payments include the State pension, Disability Allowance, One-Parent Family Payment, or Farm Assist. If you are 66 or older, you don't need to be getting a qualifying social welfare payment to get the Fuel Allowance. However, you must satisfy a means test.
The weekly allowable income for those over 66 is €524 for a single person and €1,048 for a couple. Allowed savings for this age group are €50,000. If you are under 66, the weekly rate of payment is €33. The Fuel Allowance season usually lasts 28 weeks, from late September to April.
If you are getting Jobseeker's Allowance, you can keep your Fuel Allowance if you move to One-Parent Family Payment, Carer's Allowance, or Jobseeker's Transitional Payment. You qualify for Fuel Allowance if you have been getting Jobseeker's Allowance for more than 312 days (over 12 months). If you are getting long-term Jobseeker's Allowance (12 months), you can only apply through your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.
If you are over the age of 70, you can apply for the free electricity allowance, a monthly supplement of €35 to help with energy costs.
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Living arrangements
To qualify for the fuel allowance, you must live in Ireland. You cannot get the fuel allowance if your heating costs are included in your rent or covered in full as part of your accommodation. Only one fuel allowance payment is paid per household. If more than one person in the household qualifies for a social assistance payment, you can decide who applies for the allowance. If someone in the household is getting a qualifying social insurance payment, such as a State Pension (Contributory) or Invalidity Pension, they should apply first so that a means test can be carried out on their income. Another qualifying person in the household can also apply for the fuel allowance, but they must include information about the person getting a social insurance payment.
If you live with someone who can afford to pay your energy bills, you may not be able to claim the allowance. You can only claim if you are unable to meet the cost of your energy bills on your own. If you have significant savings, you may not qualify for the fuel allowance. The allowance is means-tested, so the Department of Social Protection (DSP) will examine all your sources of income. Your gross weekly income must be below a certain amount to pass the means test.
If you are over 70 (or 66 from January 2025), you do not need to be claiming certain welfare payments to get the fuel allowance. If you are under 70, you need to be claiming certain welfare payments to get the fuel allowance, such as a State pension, Disability Allowance, One Parent Family Payment, or Farm Assist. If you are getting Jobseeker's Allowance, your spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant can be considered a qualified adult on your payment if you apply for the fuel allowance.
If you are a surviving member of a couple who is staying on the same scheme or is eligible for a scheme with which fuel allowance is paid, then the fuel allowance should be paid with that scheme until the end of the current fuel allowance season. If the surviving member of the couple is not moving to a scheme with which fuel allowance is paid, then the scheme area should make arrangements with the National Fuel Scheme (NFS) area to set up an NFS claim for this customer until the end of that fuel allowance season.
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Application forms
If you are applying for the Fuel Allowance for the first time, you can either complete an online application or use a paper application form.
Online Application
You can apply for the Fuel Allowance online at mywelfare.ie.
Paper Application
If you are applying using a paper application form, you need to send the completed form to the department you get your social welfare payment from. The address will depend on which qualifying allowance you receive. Check where to send your form at Gov.ie.
You can collect the form from your local post office, Intreo Centre, or Social Welfare Branch. You can also download the form from gov.ie or get it by phoning 0818 200 400. If you are aged 66 or over, you need to fill in the NFS2 form. If you are under 66, use the NFS1 form.
If you are applying using the paper Fuel Allowance (NFS1 or NFS2) application form, you should send the completed form to the section of the department from which you are getting your payment.
Changing Payment Frequency
If you are already receiving the Fuel Allowance and want to change how your Fuel Allowance is paid, fill in the Change the Payment Frequency form at least one month before the first instalment is due. You can complete a FA CPF 1 form online.
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Frequently asked questions
Fuel Allowance is a means-tested payment to help with the cost of heating in your home during the winter period. It is paid to people who are on a qualifying long-term social welfare payment, including State Pension, Disability Allowance, One-Parent Family Payment, and Farm Assist. To be eligible, your gross weekly income must be below a certain amount.
The current rate of payment is €33 every week, which works out to €924 in total for the 28-week fuel allowance season. You can choose to receive the allowance weekly or in two lump-sum payments of €462 each.
You can apply for the fuel allowance by filling out a Fuel Allowance Scheme application form, which can be found at your local post office or DSP office. If you are aged 66 or older, use the NFS2 form, and if you are under 66, use the NFS1 form.
