Older people · 10 September 2026 · updated 21 October 2026
Fuel Allowance is back on 28 September. Over 66? The old rule is gone.
Quick answer
Fuel Allowance started again on Monday 28 September 2026 and runs 28 weeks to 9 April 2027. It is €38 a week, rising to €43 a week from the week of 4 January 2027. Or take it as two lump sums: €532 in late September and €602 in January. If you are 66 or over you no longer need a qualifying payment. You need to pass the means test: income up to €534 a week single (€640.80 from January 2027) or €1,068 a couple, with the first €50,000 of savings ignored. It is not backdated, so apply now.
Budget 2027 update, checked 21 October 2026: the Fuel Allowance rises by €5 to €43 a week from the week of 4 January 2027. If you take it as two lump sums, the January one rises from €532 to €602. From January the income limit for a single person aged 66 or over rises from €534 to €640.80 a week (Department of Social Protection, Budget 2027, and Citizens Information). The €38 rate below applies until then. Everything Budget 2027 gave older people.
What is happening on 28 September
The Fuel Allowance season for 2026/27 opened on Monday 28 September 2026. Payments run for 28 weeks and finish on 9 April 2027.
- €38 a week, paid with your main payment, rising to €43 a week from the week of 4 January 2027.
- Or take it as two lump sums: €532 in the week of 28 September and €602 in January. You switch on form FA CPF1. If you send it in during the season, you are paid weekly until the next lump sum is due.
- One payment per household. Two people in the same house cannot both claim it.
The rule that changed for the over 66s
This is the bit most families have not caught up on.
Until recently you had to be on a "qualifying payment" to get Fuel Allowance. State Pension, Disability Allowance, that kind of thing. Plenty of people over 66 on a small private pension were locked out.
That rule is gone for anyone aged 66 or over. Now there is a means test, and a rule about who you live with:
- Income up to €534 a week if you are single, rising to €640.80 from January 2027.
- Income up to €1,068 a week for a couple.
- The first €50,000 of savings is ignored. Above that, savings are turned into a notional weekly income.
- You live alone, or only with certain people, such as a spouse or partner, dependent children or someone else aged 66 or over.
So a widow in Mayo on the State Pension and a small work pension, with €40,000 in the credit union, qualifies. Two years ago she probably did not.
If you are under 66, nothing has changed. You still need a qualifying payment such as Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Carer's Allowance or long-term Jobseeker's Allowance.
Why you should apply now
Fuel Allowance is not backdated. If your mother in Cork applies in November, she gets it from November. The weeks from September are gone.
If she got it last winter and nothing has changed, she does not need to reapply. It restarts by itself.
If she has never claimed it, or was refused under the old rule, apply now:
- Online at MyWelfare.ie with a verified MyGovID, or
- On paper form NFS2 (66 or over) or NFS1 (under 66), from gov.ie, the post office or by ringing 0818 200 400. Send it to the section that pays the main pension, or to the National Fuel Scheme in Sligo if there is no payment.
You need a PPS number and a rough figure for household income and savings. That is it.
Two things that come with it
Getting Fuel Allowance opens two more doors that people miss.
- Warmer Homes Scheme. Fuel Allowance is a passport to free energy upgrades from SEAI if you own a home built and occupied before 2006. Attic and wall insulation, sometimes heating, and since 6 October 2026 solar panels and a battery. Citizens Information says it takes about 15 months to be contacted by a contractor, so get on the list early. Our Warmer Homes guide.
- Telephone Support Allowance. €2.50 a week if you get Fuel Allowance and the Living Alone Increase. Small, but automatic once both are in place. Living Alone Increase guide.
A note on the Budget
Budget 2027, on 6 October, raised the Fuel Allowance by €5 to €43 a week from the week of 4 January 2027. You do not need to do anything to get the rise. It goes to everyone already on it, so apply now under the current rules.
Sources, checked 21 October 2026: gov.ie, Fuel Allowance (updated 7 October 2026); Citizens Information, Fuel Allowance (page edited 16 October 2026); Department of Social Protection, Budget 2027 (updated 9 October 2026); Citizens Information, Warmer Homes Scheme (page edited 13 October 2026).
One more thing. The payments above are national and come from the Department of Social Protection. If the house itself is the problem, the stairs, the bath, the step at the front door, that is a separate grant from the county council. It pays up to €40,000. The rules are national, but waiting times and local practice differ by county. Pick yours below.
Common questions
When does Fuel Allowance start in 2026?
The 2026/27 Fuel Allowance season started on Monday 28 September 2026 and runs for 28 weeks, to 9 April 2027.
How much is Fuel Allowance in 2026?
€38 a week, rising to €43 a week from the week of 4 January 2027. You can take it weekly with your main payment or as two lump sums: €532 in late September and €602 in January.
Do I need to be on a welfare payment to get Fuel Allowance?
Not if you are 66 or over. You need to pass the means test: income up to €534 a week single (€640.80 from January 2027) or €1,068 a couple, with the first €50,000 of savings ignored. You must also live alone or only with certain people, such as a spouse or another person aged 66 or over. Under 66 you still need a qualifying payment.
Is Fuel Allowance backdated?
No. It is paid from the date you apply, or from the start of the season if you applied before it. The 2026/27 season started on 28 September 2026, so apply as soon as you can.
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