Fuel Allowance 2026/27: €38 a week, rising to €43 in January

Fuel Allowance helps with heating costs from late September to April. Budget 2027 raises it from €38 to €43 a week from January 2027. Who qualifies.

Fuel Allowance is a weekly payment from the Department of Social Protection towards the cost of heating your home over the winter. Only one person in a household can get it, and it isn't paid if your heating is already included in full in your accommodation.

The 2026/27 season

The season runs for 28 weeks, starting in the week of Monday 28 September 2026. Budget 2027 increases the rate from the week of 4 January 2027:

You can take it weekly or in two lump sums, in September and January; for 2026/27 the lump sums are €532 and €602. The lump-sum option isn't available with some schemes and payments, including the Working Family Payment.

Who qualifies

You must live in Ireland, pass a means test (a check on your income and savings), and either:

• be 66 or over, or
• be under 66 and getting a qualifying payment. Examples are One-Parent Family Payment, Disability Allowance, Carer's Allowance, Invalidity Pension, the Working Family Payment, or Jobseeker's Allowance for more than 312 days

You must live alone, or only with certain people. These include a spouse or partner who qualifies with you, dependent children, or someone aged 66 or over.

The means test

• Under 66: your weekly means must be below the maximum State Pension (Contributory) for your household plus €200. In 2026 that is €499.30 for a single person.
• 66 or over: income before tax up to €534 a week, or €1,068 for a couple, in 2026. Budget 2027 raises the single limit to €640.80. The first €50,000 of savings and investments is ignored.

Automatic for Working Family Payment

Since 1 January 2026, anyone getting the Working Family Payment is treated as passing the Fuel Allowance means test. It is paid automatically with Working Family Payment, with no separate application, as long as no one else in the household already gets it.

Applying

If you don't get it automatically, apply online with a verified MyGovID account. Or apply on paper: form NFS1 if you are under 66, form NFS2 if you are 66 or over. Apply before the season starts, because a later claim isn't backdated. You don't need to reapply each year if nothing changes. If you also get the Living Alone Increase, a Telephone Support Allowance of €2.50 a week is added automatically.

Work it out

• Take-home pay →

Sources

• Citizens Information: Social welfare rates 2026 (checked 25/10/2026)
• Citizens Information: Social welfare rates 2027 (checked 25/10/2026)
• Citizens Information: Budget 2027 (checked 25/10/2026)

General information, not tax advice. HeyPenny is not a tax agent.