The Household Benefits Package consists of allowances that help you with the costs of running your household. The benefits have been cut back in recent years, but there is still €580 available under it for many. With another €468 in the Living Alone Scheme, benefits can be worth over €1,000.
The Household Benefits Package is available to people aged over 70, but people under 70 can get it in certain circumstances. You do not need to be getting a pension and the package is not means-tested. You also qualify if you are getting full-time carer’s allowance and you are living with the person you are caring for.
The allowances do not apply if you live in a nursing or retirement home where the accommodation is not fully self-contained. You must be living in Ireland and only one person in a household can qualify.
The package is not just for people who own their house. If you are renting your home, your landlord must provide written confirmation that you are a tenant and confirm that you are paying your own energy bills.
There are two allowances in the Household Benefits Package:
• The electricity allowance/natural gas allowance. • The free TV licence allowance.The telephone allowance that was worth €9.50 per month per household was discontinued from 1 January 2014.
The electricity/natural gas allowance is worth €35 per month. It is paid as a credit on the bill of Electric Ireland customers, or directly to you to pay towards your electricity/gas bill if you are with another provider. The allowance can be paid into your bank account or at your local post office.
The monthly allowance of €35 can be carried forward without restriction and can be drawn down at any stage, including if you wish to switch to a different energy provider.
Once you qualify for the Household Benefits Package, you become eligible for a free TV licence from the next date of renewal. The Department issues you with a TV licence and notifies An Post of your entitlement for as long as you are receiving the Household Benefits Package.
If you are between the age of 66 and 70 and are planning to get the package, you must be receiving one of the following:
• The State pension (contributory or non-contributory). • Widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s (contributory) pension.• Deserted wife’s benefit.If you are aged between 66 and 70 and not receiving one of the above qualifying payments, you must satisfy a means test. The means test involves calculating your appropriate weekly means limit. This limit is based on the current maximum rate of the State pension (contributory), including increases for age, living alone and adult/child dependants. If your weekly means are less than or equal to your weekly income limit, you satisfy the means test and qualify for the Household Benefits Package. If you are applying for the package on the basis of the means test, a separate means test questionnaire will be posted to you for completion.
If you are under 66, you can qualify if you are receiving the following:
• The disability allowance.• The invalidity pension.• The blind pension.• The incapacity supplement or workmen’s compensation with disablement pension (for at least 12 months).• You are caring for a person who is getting constant attendance allowance.If you are widowed or a surviving civil partner aged between 60 and 65 and your late spouse or civil partner was getting any Household Benefit allowance from the Department of Social Protection and before his/her death you were permanently living together, you can qualify for the Household Benefits Package. If you were under 60 when your spouse or civil partner died, this concession applies when you turn 60.
To apply, fill in form HB1 available from the social welfare. You can get more information about the Household Benefits Package in SW107.
The Household Benefits Package consists of allowances that help you with the costs of running your household. The benefits have been cut back in recent years, but there is still €580 available under it for many. With another €468 in the Living Alone Scheme, benefits can be worth over €1,000.
The Household Benefits Package is available to people aged over 70, but people under 70 can get it in certain circumstances. You do not need to be getting a pension and the package is not means-tested. You also qualify if you are getting full-time carer’s allowance and you are living with the person you are caring for.
The allowances do not apply if you live in a nursing or retirement home where the accommodation is not fully self-contained. You must be living in Ireland and only one person in a household can qualify.
The package is not just for people who own their house. If you are renting your home, your landlord must provide written confirmation that you are a tenant and confirm that you are paying your own energy bills.
There are two allowances in the Household Benefits Package:
• The electricity allowance/natural gas allowance. • The free TV licence allowance.The telephone allowance that was worth €9.50 per month per household was discontinued from 1 January 2014.
The electricity/natural gas allowance is worth €35 per month. It is paid as a credit on the bill of Electric Ireland customers, or directly to you to pay towards your electricity/gas bill if you are with another provider. The allowance can be paid into your bank account or at your local post office.
The monthly allowance of €35 can be carried forward without restriction and can be drawn down at any stage, including if you wish to switch to a different energy provider.
Once you qualify for the Household Benefits Package, you become eligible for a free TV licence from the next date of renewal. The Department issues you with a TV licence and notifies An Post of your entitlement for as long as you are receiving the Household Benefits Package.
If you are between the age of 66 and 70 and are planning to get the package, you must be receiving one of the following:
• The State pension (contributory or non-contributory). • Widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s (contributory) pension.• Deserted wife’s benefit.If you are aged between 66 and 70 and not receiving one of the above qualifying payments, you must satisfy a means test. The means test involves calculating your appropriate weekly means limit. This limit is based on the current maximum rate of the State pension (contributory), including increases for age, living alone and adult/child dependants. If your weekly means are less than or equal to your weekly income limit, you satisfy the means test and qualify for the Household Benefits Package. If you are applying for the package on the basis of the means test, a separate means test questionnaire will be posted to you for completion.
If you are under 66, you can qualify if you are receiving the following:
• The disability allowance.• The invalidity pension.• The blind pension.• The incapacity supplement or workmen’s compensation with disablement pension (for at least 12 months).• You are caring for a person who is getting constant attendance allowance.If you are widowed or a surviving civil partner aged between 60 and 65 and your late spouse or civil partner was getting any Household Benefit allowance from the Department of Social Protection and before his/her death you were permanently living together, you can qualify for the Household Benefits Package. If you were under 60 when your spouse or civil partner died, this concession applies when you turn 60.
To apply, fill in form HB1 available from the social welfare. You can get more information about the Household Benefits Package in SW107.
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