Operational Guidelines: Household Benefits Package

Internal Guidelines used in administering allowances comprising the Household Benefits Package:

• Free Electricity Allowance or Free Gas Allowance
• Free Television Licence

The Household Benefits Package helps towards the costs of your electricity or gas bills. It also includes a free Television Licence.

Only one Household Benefits Package is payable per household and you must reside full time in Ireland.

Description of Household Benefits Package

Free Electricity Allowance or Free Gas Allowance and a Free Television Licence

i. Free Electricity Allowance or Free Gas Allowance

This Allowance is paid on the first Tuesday of each month to the customer’s nominated Bank Account or Post Office. It is paid at a rate of €1.15 per day.

ii. Free Television Licence

A person who is awarded a Free Television Licence as part of the Household Benefits Package, is entitled to a Free Television Licence from the next renewal date of their licence following award of the allowance.

The Household Benefits Package award letter includes the Free Television Licence, which remains valid as long as the applicant continues to receive the Household Benefits Package.

Legislation

The Household Benefit Package is non-statutory, having been introduced and extended by Ministerial Announcement.

Taxation

Household Benefits Package payments are fully exempt from income tax, PRSI and USC.

Administration

The Scheme is administered by the Household Benefits Section in the Social Welfare Services Office, Sligo.

Qualifying Conditions

Summary of Qualifying Criteria:

(a) To qualify for the Household Benefits Package, all applicants must be legally resident in the State and no other person in their household can be in receipt of the package.

Applicants aged 70 or over:

A person aged 70 or over who satisfies condition (a) above can qualify for the Household Benefits Package, as it is not means tested and you do not need to be in receipt of any social welfare payment.

Applicants aged from 66 to 69:

In addition to satisfying condition (a) above, applicants aged from 66 to 69 may qualify if they are getting a qualifying payment or, alternatively, if they satisfy a means test.

The Qualifying Payments for those aged from 66 to 69 are:

• State Pension Contributory
• State Pension Non Contributory
• Bereaved Partner’s Contributory Pension
• Carer’s Allowance (must be residing with the person they are caring for)
• Deserted Wife’s Benefit
• A Garda Widow’s Pension from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration
• A Social Security Pension/Benefit covered by EU Laws or from a country Ireland has a Social Security Agreement with - (see Appendix 2 for details)
• Incapacity Supplement (for at least 12 months) with Disablement Benefit

AND

• If living with a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant, they must be regarded as a “Qualified Adult”. A spouse/civil partner or cohabitant is regarded as a “Qualified Adult” for the purposes of the Household Benefits Package if:
• The applicant is receiving an Increase for a Qualified Adult with their qualifying payment for this person

OR

• The spouse/civil partner or cohabitant is in receipt of a qualifying payment in their own right.

OR

• If the spouse/civil partner or cohabitant is on a benefit payment, or is aged over 66, they satisfy a means test.

Applicants aged under 66:

In addition to satisfying condition (a) above, applicants aged under 66 must be getting a qualifying payment.

The qualifying payments for those aged under 66 are:

• Invalidity Pension
• Blind Pension
• Disability Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance (must be residing with the person they are caring for)
• Equivalent Social Security Payment from a country covered by EU Laws or from a country Ireland has a Social Security Agreement with (see Appendix 2 for details)
• Incapacity Supplement with Disablement Pension (for at least 12 months)

AND

• If living with a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant, they must be regarded as a “Qualified Adult”. A spouse/civil partner or cohabitant is regarded as a “Qualified Adult” for the purposes of the Household Benefits Package if:
• The applicant is receiving an increase for a Qualified Adult with their qualifying payment for this person

OR

• The spouse/civil partner or cohabitant is in receipt of a qualifying payment in their own right.

OR

• If the spouse/civil partner or cohabitant is on a benefit payment or is aged over 66, they satisfy a means test.

Concessions

Concession 1.

A bereaved partner aged between 60 and 65 years, whose late partner received the Household Benefits Package may qualify for the Household Benefits Package, if she or he otherwise satisfies the conditions as outlined above, and receives one of the payments listed below. Please note, if your late spouse/partner was in receipt of the Household Benefits Package, this payment ceases on their death. A surviving partner who is in receipt of a qualifying payment or who is over 66, must re-apply for the Household Benefits Package in their own name.

Note: where the surviving partner was the person in receipt of the Household Benefits Package, they can retain it provided that the conditions for receipt of the Package remain satisfied and they receive one of the payments listed below.

(from the Department of Social Protection):

• Bereaved Partner’s Contributory Pension or Bereaved Partner’s Non-contributory) Pension
• One-Parent Family Payment (Widows/Widowers)
• Bereaved Partner's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefits Scheme

(from a foreign Social Security Agency):

• an equivalent Social Security Pension/Benefit from a country covered by EU Regulations, or from a country with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement

(from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration ):

• a Garda Widow's Pension

NOTE: Documentary evidence that the applicant's late spouse received the pension claimed may be requested.

Concession 2.

A person who receives Invalidity Pension, Disability Allowance or Blind Pension, may retain the Household Benefits Package on transfer to another primary long-term Department of Social Protection payment (excluding Jobseeker's Benefit/Allowance, Illness Benefit, One-Parent Family Payment and Carer's Benefit or as a Qualified Adult on their spouse/civil partner/co-habitant’s payment). A person who transfers from any primary payment (and had an entitlement to the Household Benefits Package) to receive an Increase for Qualified Adult (IQA) on their spouses/civil partner/cohabitant’s DSP payment, will lose their entitlement to the Household Benefits Package.

Concession 3.

Training/Educational Courses/Back to Work Enterprise Allowance Scheme

A person who transfers from the following long-term disability related schemes: Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension or Blind Pension to a recognised training/educational course or Back to Work Enterprise Allowance may apply for and qualify for the Household Benefits Package while participating on the course. Qualification for the Household Benefits Package will be subject to satisfying all the relevant qualifying conditions. This means that at any point while participating on the course a person may qualify for Household Benefits Package if they satisfy the qualifying conditions based on the underlying entitlement to either Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension or Blind Pension.

Change of Address

If a customer changes address while in receipt of the Household Benefits Package, they must notify the Department and re-apply for the Household Benefits Package at their new address. The Package will cease at their old address..

How to Apply for the Household Benefits Package

The quickest and easiest way to apply for the Household Benefits Package is online at www.MyWelfare.ie.

Alternatively, a paper application form (HB1) may be downloaded, or is available at your post office or local Intreo Centre. The completed application form should be returned to Household Benefits Section, Social Welfare Services Office, College Road, Sligo, F91 T384.

If the applicant is receiving a Social Security Pension

Persons whose pension is not paid by the Department of Social Protection must submit documentary evidence in respect of their pension.

If the applicant, aged from 66 to 69years, is not receiving a Social Security Pension

If the application is being made on a means test basis, a separate means assessment form will be issued. This must be completed in full by the applicant and returned along with all required documentation.

If the applicant is married, or living with a spouse, civil partner or co-habitant, they must also satisfy the qualifying conditions as outlined, or they may have to satisfy a means-test if they are over 66.

Answers to all questions on the form relating to the applicant's spouse, civil partner or cohabitant must be provided.

Income from Renting a Room in own home

The Rent-A-Room means disregard applies to Household Benefits Package applicants who rent out a room in their own home. This allows for up to a limit of €269.23 per week in respect of income from renting a room in their own home to be disregarded.

Appendix 1 - Procedures in relation to Backdating of Award

An application for the Household Benefits Package may be backdated for a maximum of six months where there is an underlying entitlement.

In certain circumstances a backdated payment may be made for a period of more than six months.

The period may be extended where the delay in making the claim is due to:

• incorrect information given by the department OR
• the person being so incapacitated that she or he was unable to pursue the claim OR
• a force majeure

Appendix 2 - List of countries with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement

The EU/EEA countries covered by these Regulations are; Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Netherlands.

Bilateral Social Security Agreements:

Bilateral Social Security agreements are specific arrangement between participating countries that allow people to move between countries and protect their pension entitlements. Ireland has bilateral social security agreements with:

• Canada
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Republic of Korea
• UK (including Channel Islands and Isle of Man)
• Quebec
• United States of America
• Austria
• Japan

Household Benefits Package terminated on entry to nursing home

On entry to a Nursing Home a customer loses entitlement to the Household Benefits Package from when they entered the Nursing Home. If they return home and contact the section in writing within 13 weeks the Package can be re-instated to the date that it was terminated.

If the client returns home and re-applies for the Package more than 13 weeks after it was terminated, the Package may be backdated to the date they returned home.

Short hospital stays

A customer may continue to be regarded as residing in their permanent address while they are temporarily undergoing medical treatment in a hospital for a period not longer than 13 consecutive weeks.

Posthumous claims

A posthumous claim for Household Benefits is not considered.

Request for backdate of one scheme

A request for backdating of one element of the Household Benefits Package will be taken as a request to examine entitlement to all elements. For example, a request for backdating of Free Electricity/Free Gas Allowance will be taken as a request to examine entitlement to backdating of Free Television Licence. Again, all conditions for each scheme must be satisfied and proof of purchase of Television Licence must be furnished.

Refund of TV licence

Television Licences are refunded when the customer has purchased a Television Licence which covers the period within which they were awarded the Package. The Television Licence is an annual payment and is refunded in full if the licence is purchased in this period. The customer requests a refund for the licence by submitting the licence paid for or proof of purchase. There are no refunds for part of the year.

If a client has purchased a Television Licence on a date after their claim was processed, then they must request a refund from An Post.