Nearly 5,000 more homes in Cork eligible for fuel allowance

The Department of Social Protection has announced that 4,780 additional households in Cork will be eligible for fuel allowance.

Budget 2026 provided for the extension of the fuel allowance payment to working family payment recipients.

The measure comes into effect this week and will be backdated to January, meaning that 50,000 additional households nationwide will now receive the fuel allowance.

The newly eligible families will receive backdated payments of up to €380 on Thursday, March 12, along with their weekly working family payment.

Since January the weekly rate of fuel allowance was increased by €5 a week to €38, giving a total per recipient of €1,064 each year.

Fine Gael Cork North Central TD Colm Burke said: “I encourage anyone who may be eligible to apply for the allowance, which will go a long way in supporting households in Cork."

More than 470,000 households are now being supported by the fuel allowance across the country.

Social protection minister Dara Calleary said “The fuel allowance plays a vital role in supporting families with their heating costs over the winter months.

“This is a targeted, practical intervention that will help working families manage energy costs and reduce financial pressure during the winter months, and it reflects a broader commitment: To ensure that work is rewarded, that families are supported, and that no child grows up in poverty.”