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needs. In addition to those primary payments, we also provide a range of other payments that are considered secondary in nature. The living alone allowance is one of those secondary payments. It is not a scheme or stand-alone payment but rather a supplement to certain primary social … advocacy groups around this. The data shows the cost of living for a single person is more than the individualised cost of two people living together, as the Deputy said. For this reason, the living alone allowance is available to those in receipt of qualifying payments. Any future

this reason that the living alone increase is available to those in receipt of qualifying payments from my Department. The living alone allowance is a supplementary payment to those who are 66 or over, living alone and in receipt of a State contributory pension, State non-contributory pension … receipt of one of those specified payments. In total about 260,000 people receive the payment weekly. The current rate of the living alone allowance is €22 a week. It has increased by over 144% since 2019, when it was just €9 per week. The most recent change

Local Link, which is expanding its footprint to address the exact kind of loneliness the Deputy has just referred to. The living alone allowance, or the living alone increase as it is formerly known, is available to those who are in receipt of the qualifying payments … living alone allowance, not a scheme or stand-alone payment. It is a supplement to a primary social protection payment of €22 per week made to people aged 66 or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone. For the record

crisis continues through the winter. I had a very good discussion with Deputy Colm Burke earlier around the fuel allowance and the living alone allowance. I am going to be particularly focused on the living alone allowance because, for many older people who are left alone by being … cost of running large houses remain but their income has been halved. I am going to be very focused on the living alone allowance as well as looking at how we continue to use the fuel allowance on in a targeted manner to support those most at risk

Absolutely. The Deputy's question was framed in the context of the fuel allowance, but the living alone allowance would be the payment in relation to those people. It is a payment that I intend to focus on in this year's budget. There is no doubt that … away from my capacity to do something on the living alone allowance, but also de-target some of the necessary element of the fuel allowance which we can target at people. I am very conscious of those living of their own and older people living on their

targeted at vulnerable groups. It also includes a commitment to examine key ancillary benefits, including the fuel allowance, household benefits package and living alone allowance to support vulnerable groups. This is an ongoing activity as part of the Department's budget planning each year. As part of budget … licence, with an annual payment of €580 per recipient. The Department will invest approximately €317 million this year in this package. The living alone allowance is a supplement to a primary social protection payment of €22 per week, €1,144 a year, made to people aged

home do not. That is something I ask the Minister to examine. The other thing I would say regarding the living alone allowance is that when the State spends money it inevitably has an impact on inflation. Regarding increasing the living alone allowance, this relates to costs which … advocating for increases in the payments but I am saying it is something to be conscious of that the living alone allowance itself does not have as much of an inflationary leakage or impact. It is something to consider

heartbroken by the loss of their loved one should not face financial stress. Noel described the €3 increase in the living alone allowance as a joke. I ask the Taoiseach to not insult the intelligence of pensioners by trying to tell them otherwise. Three euro would not even … supermarket. That is the level of support pensioners living alone have got from this Government: the equivalent of a butter voucher. The living alone allowance has not been increased for five years. After all of that time, when costs across the country have soared by 30%, the Government

isolated in rural areas and entirely reliant on State support. One of the things the Minister mentioned was the increase to the living alone allowance. He selectively looked at 2019. The majority of that increase happened in 2020 and there has not been a significant increase … living alone allowance since. What will the Minister do on the living alone and telephone allowances in the forthcoming budget? What is the threshold for him to tackle poverty for people living alone

anomalies I am looking at in the context of my previous discussion with Deputy Hayes. We are also looking at the living alone allowance. A person living on their own does not necessarily have half the costs. It is a rather arbitrary figure. In particular, it is especially … food and less chance to make up that in terms of day-to-day earnings. In the context of looking at the living alone allowance increase and the fuel allowance payment for budget 2027, they are areas we will be considering. I look forward to engagement across

around €33,000 will now qualify for the fuel allowance, potentially opening the fuel allowance up to 10,000 additional people. The living alone allowance has been increased by €3 to €25 per week. That is a €300 million investment in the living alone allowance during

need to work better in terms of making the living alone allowance available quicker and providing information on it. There is also the fuel allowance. I am also conscious we have not increased the living alone allowance since budget 2022, so we have some way to catch

households qualify. We need to do more work on the living alone allowance to cater specifically for the kind of cohorts that the Deputy spoke about. In many cases, for the fuel allowance and somebody living on their own, many people will qualify. We will do some more … work around communicating the new means. I will be specifically targeting the living alone allowance to address that kind of cohort of people, particularly those who are left on their own, either by death or separation, with large expenses. The Deputy is absolutely right. We have the retrofit

will work with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, on that. The living alone allowance is also available for people in that situation and it is €1,144 a year. The weekly rate for the living alone allowance is higher than the 28 weeks of the fuel allowance payment

most pressure and, in particular, to support, as we have discussed at considerable length this morning, those in receipt of the living alone allowance. Anomalies in this regard have been highlighted by Deputies Burke, McAuliffe and O'Reilly. We want to look at those. There … areas in which we can iron out difficulties. As Deputy Hayes stated earlier, the living alone allowance and the fuel allowance affect people in different ways. We have to make sure that we try to ensure consistency. That will be part of our overall budgetary process, but that

Minister to increase the living alone allowance in recognition of the significantly lower income available to qualifying single income householders relative to couples. It is widely acknowledged that the household costs and cost-of-living challenges for people living alone are quite significant. When we compare a couple … example, versus a single income household, there is quite a significant difference. The living alone allowance is designed to bridge that gap but, unfortunately, it does not go anywhere near enough. I ask the Minister to please consider this increase in the upcoming budget

relief to those in the country who need it the most. That is very welcome. One measure I particularly pushed was the living alone allowance and I had ongoing discussions with the Minister, Deputy Dara Calleary, on that provision. I welcome there has been some movement … future because those living alone on long-term social welfare payments are those who are most at risk of poverty. The living alone allowance should have been adjusted to reflect that. I will touch on one measure I proposed prior to the budget on the housing front, which

winter, the temporary business energy support scheme, TBESS. will have to revisited in some guise. I advocated for an increase in the living alone allowance, which increased for the first time in five years. It would have been nice to see a slightly larger increase because filling … income instead of two. This is a concern and I had hoped for a lump sum or a greater increase in the living alone allowance, although I certainly welcome the first increase in about five years

miles, in a rural area is more expensive. This is one matter we should be considering in terms of the living alone allowance. Where people look after themselves at home, there is less demand on the State compared to them being in nursing home care. Therefore … subject we need to look at, especially for people living in rural areas, is that of people living alone and the living alone allowance

Government and we will fulfil that commitment. We cannot look at any payment in isolation, as the Deputy has done with the living alone allowance. It has to be looked at in the context of the pension increase and the permanent increase in the fuel allowance. For many … organisations as to how best we design how that gets paid into the future. That is not insignificant. Back in 2017, the living alone allowance was €9. It is now €25 as a result of the increase. We are going to progressively increase that. It will cost

because they are at home more. In the budget prior to the general election, they got cost-of-living measures, additional fuel allowance, living alone allowance and energy credits. When there is no election, they get zero. They got nothing this year. The budget came and went

week in basic payments or, indeed, a contributory pension plus qualified adult is up to €500. However, for someone on disability allowance living alone, his or her basic payment is €254. The household costs for that individual are very similar. Many household costs are unrelated to the number … mortgage payments. Indeed, many utility bills have flat rates, so they are not really dependent on usage to a great extent. The living alone allowance is designed to bridge that gap but I would strongly argue that it needs to increase. I welcome the increases over recent years

last year. The budget takes off €40 to €50, and another €140 in fuel allowance for those lucky enough to get fuel allowance. That is €700 up and €180 back at best. That is not relief; that is just rounding an error. Today the Government cut carbon … Government has finally admitted that living alone costs more. It costs more for pensioners, who received a €3 rise in the living alone allowance. The worker living alone gets absolutely nothing. Let us not forget the childless couple or the single man or woman who wants to leave

Budget 2027 contains a wide range of cost-of-living measures, including increases in the fuel allowance, the living alone allowance and social welfare payments, with the old-age pension going to €309.30 per week. There is an increase in children's allowance and improvements to the carer

carbon tax but then you sit down with them and speak about how carbon tax is used for the fuel allowance, the living alone allowance, the working family payment and ACRES. There is an education gap here. People see us talking about millions and billions of euro

incomes sources (wages, gross or net, private pension, maintenance payments, social welfare payments, children’s allowance, carer’s support grants, fuel allowance, living alone allowance, and so on) that the AHBs and the councils are permitted to take into account when calculating the sum on which the differential

Social Protection if Irish residents in receipt of a British pension are entitled to social welfare supports such as the fuel allowance, living alone allowance and other supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5309/25

asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) does not have an entitlement to the fuel allowance or living alone allowance; the options now available to the person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52847/25

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if any consideration has been given to amending the living alone allowance into a universal benefit for all those living alone over the age of 66; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37020/26

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding any cost analysis carried out into expanding the living alone allowance into a universal benefit for all those living alone over the age of 66 [37021/26

Social Protection to confirm whether an examination of improvements to key ancillary benefits such as the fuel allowance, household benefits package and living alone allowance to support older and vulnerable groups has occurred as per the programme for Government; if not, when this examination will occur

Minister for Social Protection If an examination of improvements to key ancillary benefits such as the fuel allowance, household benefits package and living alone allowance to support vulnerable groups has occurred as per the Programme for Government; if not, when this examination is to occur

fulfil the Programme for Government commitment to examine improvements to key ancillary benefits, such as the fuel allowance, household benefits package and living alone allowance, to support vulnerable groups. [12594/26

Minister for Social Protection if an examination of improvements to key ancillary benefits such as the fuel allowance, household benefits package and living alone allowance to support vulnerable groups has occurred as per the programme for Government; if not, when this examination is to occur

fulfil the Programme for Government commitment to examine improvements to key ancillary benefits, such as the fuel allowance, household benefits package and living alone allowance, to support vulnerable groups. [21603/25

Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding any Departmental review of the existing rate of payment under the living alone allowance to reflect the increased cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48307/25

Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will increase the living alone allowance in Budget 2027, in recognition of the increasing cost of living in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43815/26

Protection if his attention has been drawn to the significant level of negative feedback in relation to the €3 increase to the living alone allowance announced in Budget 2027; and the actions he is taking to specifically support recipients of this payment in the context of a very

Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection to ensure that the full living alone allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied). [71511/26

Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost if the living alone allowance increased by €6 per week. [69808/26

Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is considering an increase in the living alone allowance in the context of Budget 2027. [67244/26

Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the qualifying eligibility and the rate of the living alone allowance. [67326/26

qualify for the State Pension (contributory); the impact this has on being excluded from social welfare schemes such as living alone allowance, over-80 allowance, Christmas bonus, dental and optical benefits, additional qualified adult allowance, household benefits package between ages 66 and 70 and treatment for the Universal

Energy and the Environment if he will consider extending the eligibility criteria for the warmer homes scheme to include recipients of the living alone allowance, thereby allowing them to qualify for free home energy efficiency upgrades. [49348/26

Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will give consideration to changing the living alone allowance in the coming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46357/26

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection to give consideration to increasing the living alone allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46330/26

Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection to significantly increase the living alone allowance; and to review the qualifying criteria. [46326/26

Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) would be financially better off on the State pension (non-contributory) and living alone allowance rather than their current adult dependent allowance given their spouse is in long-term care with no prospect of them returning home. [45015/26

Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of a €5 increase in the weekly living alone allowance payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45034/26

Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the additional first year and full-year cost of increasing the living alone allowance. [43130/26