SOME 372,000 HOUSEHOLDS in receipt of the fuel allowance will be paid an additional €125 from today, as part of government efforts to tackle the rapidly rising cost of living.

Households will receive the payment in their bank account this week, depending on their particular social welfare scheme.

The once-off payment is means-tested and is available to pensioners, widows, widowers, jobseekers, lone-parents and people with disabilities. It’s part of a €505 million package to mitigate the effects of rising energy costs on households.

In a press statement, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said she was “acutely conscious that the rising cost of living is causing considerable concern for families”.

“We have all felt it in recent months – through our bills, at the petrol station and in the supermarket”, Humphreys said. “And unfortunately, the situation is not being helped by the horrific war unfolding in Ukraine.

“This once-off payment is part of a wider package of measures, totalling €505 million, agreed by Government last month in order to make things a little easier for families.

The package also included a €200 reduction in energy bills, which is coming into effect this month.

Humphreys continued: “This €125 lump sum fuel allowance payment is aimed at the most vulnerable people in our society, to ensure that they are protected against rising fuel costs.

“Government also responded last week by cutting excise duty on petrol and diesel, which has become the source of considerable concern for motorists in recent months.”

This week Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty accused petrol stations of “engaging in price gouging”, following reports primarily on social media of sharp, seemingly overnight increases in petrol and diesel prices at their local service stations.

The Journal reported this week that Ireland’s consumer and competition watchdog received 25 further complaints following the government’s cut to excise duty on petrol and diesel.

The fuel allowance is a mean-tested payment to assist long-term social welfare recipients with their winter heating costs.

Budget 2022 included a number of reforms to the allowance, including an increase in the weekly rate by €5 to €33, and a €20 increase in the weekly income means threshold from €100 to €120.