Older people and carers

Fuel Allowance

€38 a week for 28 weeks over the winter to help with heating costs. Most people over 66 on the State pension qualify.

What it is

The Fuel Allowance pays €38 a week from late September to April to help with heating. Since 2025 you no longer need to be on any social welfare payment if you are 66 or over. You only have to pass a means test, and the limits are generous. Most people on the State pension qualify.

How much you can get

€38 a week for 28 weeks, which is €1,064 a season. The 2025/26 season was extended by four weeks to 1 May 2026 because of fuel prices.

Who can get it

If you are 66 or over, you do not need to be on any qualifying payment. You only need to pass the means test below. If you are under 66, you need a qualifying payment such as Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Carer's Allowance, One-Parent Family Payment, Working Family Payment or Jobseeker's Allowance for more than 12 months.

You must live alone, or only with a spouse or partner, dependent children, another person aged 66 or over, someone caring for you, or someone else who would qualify in their own right. Only one Fuel Allowance is paid per household.

The income limit if you are 66 or over

Savings, investments and any property other than your home are also counted, but the first €50,000 is ignored if you are 66 or over. Above that, capital is converted to a notional weekly income: €1 per €1,000 for the next €10,000, €2 per €1,000 for the next €10,000, and €4 per €1,000 on the rest.

For a couple on the State pension alone, income is roughly €600 a week, well inside the limit. That is why most pensioner couples qualify and many never apply.

The income limit if you are under 66

Your means must be below the maximum State Pension (Contributory) for your circumstances plus €200. In 2026 that is €499.30 a week for a single person under 66, and €698.70 for a couple.

What it opens the door to

Getting the Fuel Allowance matters for more than the €38. Two other supports hang off it:

• Warmer Homes Scheme. Free attic and wall insulation, and sometimes heating, from SEAI for homeowners on Fuel Allowance in a house built before 2006. See the Warmer Homes Scheme guide.
• Telephone Support Allowance. An extra €2.50 a week, paid automatically if you get both the Fuel Allowance and the Living Alone Increase. No application needed.

If you are 70 or over, check the Household Benefits Package too. It is separate, has no means test, and about 116,000 households that qualify are not claiming it.

What you’ll need

• Your PPS number
• Details of household income and savings for you and your spouse or partner
• Proof of a qualifying payment if you are under 66

How to apply

1. Apply online on MyWelfare.ie with a MyGovID account, or fill in paper form NFS2 if you are 66 or over (NFS1 if under 66). Forms are at the post office or on 0818 200 400.
2. Apply before the season starts in late September. It is not backdated.
3. Choose weekly payment with your pension, or two lump sums in September and January.

Common questions