Fuel Allowance

Fuel Allowance is a payment to help with the cost of heating your home during the winter months.

You can get Fuel Allowance if you are aged 66 years or over, or getting long-term social welfare payments. (Access the full list below).

The current rate of payment is €33 every week from 23 September 2024 until 4 April 2025.

Only one Fuel Allowance is paid to each household.

If you are aged 66 years or over

You may qualify for Fuel Allowance if you are 66 years or over. You do not need to be getting a qualifying social welfare payment.

To qualify you must:

• be aged 66 or over
• be legally resident in the State
• pass a means test
• be living alone or only with other qualified people

Qualifying payments

You may qualify for a Fuel Allowance if you are getting:

• Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (if qualified)
• Blind Pension
• Carer's Allowance
• Death Benefit Pension under the Occupational Injuries Scheme
• Deserted Wife's Benefit or Allowance
• Disability Allowance
• Farm Assist
• Guardian's Payment(Contributory or Non-Contributory)
• Incapacity Supplementunder the Disablement Pension Scheme
• Invalidity Pension
• Jobseeker's Transitional Payment
• Jobseeker's Allowance (if qualified)
• One-Parent Family Payment
• Revenue Job Assist
• Social Security Payment (of which there is an Irish equivalent payment) from a country covered by EU Regulations or a country with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement
• State Pension Contributory or Non-contributory
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension Contributory or Non-contributory

Living situation

You may qualify for a Fuel Allowance if you live alone or only with:

• a person aged 66 years or over
• a dependent adult or dependent child
• a person who is getting a qualifying payment but is not receiving Fuel Allowance (only one Fuel Allowance is paid to each household)
• a person who is getting Carer's Benefit and is caring for you or for your dependent adult or dependent child
• a person getting short term Jobseeker's Allowance or Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance
• a person who gets half-rate Carer’s Allowance as well as an increase for a dependent adult

Since January 2023, half-rate Carer’s Allowance and Disablement Benefit payments are not included in the Fuel Allowance means test.

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.

The weekly rate of payment is currently €33 during the Fuel Allowance season, which is usually from late September to April.

People getting certain social welfare payments can choose to get their Fuel Allowance paid in two instalments. The first instalment sum is paid at the start of the Fuel Allowance season and the second is paid in January.

How to get your payment in two instalments

To get your Fuel Allowance paid in two instalments, you can apply by completing the Change the Payment Frequency of Fuel Allowance Application Form (FA CPF1).

You should submit the completed form at least one month before the Fuel Allowance season starts. If you submit it during the season, your payment will continue to be paid weekly until the next instalment is due.

Please note the instalment option is not available on all schemes.

This form is also available from:

• your local post office
• your local Intreo Centre

Please apply before the start of the Fuel Allowance season (late September). If you apply after this, the department cannot backdate your allowance.

You do not need to reapply for Fuel Allowance each year as long as your circumstances have not changed and you continue to get the same social welfare payment.

If your circumstances change you should contact the department as soon as possible to make sure you can still get Fuel Allowance.

Apply online

The quickest and easiest way to apply is online at MyWelfare.ie.

Apply by post

If you are 66 or over

If you are aged 66 or over and want to apply by post, complete the Fuel Allowance Scheme Application Form (NFS2 - O/66) and send to the address on page eight of the application form.

If you are under the age of 66 years

If you are under 66 years and want to apply by post, complete the Fuel Allowance Scheme Application Form (NFS1). You can also get this form from your local post office.

Where to send your Fuel Allowance application form

If applying using the paper Fuel Allowance (NFS1 or NFS2) application form you should send the completed form to the section of the department which you are getting your payment from. The relevant section addresses are listed below.

If you are getting:

• Carer's Allowance
• Death Benefit
• Disability Allowance
• Incapacity Supplement
• Invalidity Pension

Please send your completed Fuel Allowance application form and supporting documents to:

If you are getting:

• No payment from the department and you are aged 66 years of age or older
• Blind Pension
• Deserted Wife's Benefit or Allowance
• Guardian's Payment (Contributory)
• Guardian's Payment (Non-contributory)
• Social Security Payment from a country covered by EU Regulations or a country with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement
• State Pension (Contributory or Non-contributory)
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-contributory) Pension

Please send your completed Fuel Allowance application form and supporting documents to:

If you are getting:

• Farm Assist
• Long-term Jobseeker's Allowance (12 months)
• One-Parent Family Payment or Jobseeker's Transitional Payment

Send your completed Fuel Allowance application form and supporting documents to your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.

If you are getting Long-term Supplementary Welfare Allowance (12 months):

Send your completed Fuel Allowance application form and supporting documents to the department's representative at your local Intreo Centre.

Operational guidelines describe the processes and procedures that staff in the department follow when carrying out their work.

Operational Guidelines: Fuel Allowance Scheme