Latest news with #HouseholdBenefitsPackage
Irish Daily Mirror
13-07-2025
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
Full list of people who can qualify for €404 payment towards bills
There are certain people who can qualify for a payment worth over €400 towards their bills. The Household Benefits Package helps with the cost of your electricity or gas bill and the TV licence. You do not have to be living alone to qualify. However, only one person in a household can get the package. You can get the Household Benefits Package if you are aged 70 or over. You do not need to be getting a State pension, and the package is not means tested. People under 70 can also get the HBP, but additional rules apply. How to qualify for the Household Benefits Package? To receive the HBP, you must: You do not need the bill to be in your name if you are applying to get the Electricity or Gas Allowance paid in cash to your bank or post office account, or if the bill is in your landlord's name. If you are under 70, you can get the Household Benefits Package if you are getting a qualifying social welfare payment. If you are under 70 and living with your spouse, cohabitant or civil partner, you can get the HBP if you are getting a qualifying social welfare payment and: Qualifying social welfare payments for people under 70 If you are between 66 and 70: If you are aged between 66 and 70 and not getting one of the payments above, you may qualify for the Household Benefits Package if you pass a means test. Qualifying social welfare payments if you are under 66: Widowed people or surviving civil partners You can qualify for the Household Benefits Package, if you are widowed or a surviving civil partner aged between 60 and 65 and your late spouse or civil partner was getting the Household Benefit Package before their death. To qualify, you must have lived together when the Household Benefit Package was first awarded and you must be getting one of the following payments: If you were under 60 when your spouse or civil partner died, you can get the Household Benefits Package when you turn 60 if you meet these conditions. What is covered by the Household Benefits Package? There are 2 allowances in the Household Benefits Package: Allowance 1 Allowance 2 If you have an electricity and natural gas supply, you must choose between the Electricity Allowance and Gas Allowance. You can choose only one. The Allowance does not cover the cost of installing an electricity or natural gas supply to your home. Free Television Licence Once you qualify for the Household Benefits Package, you can get a Free Television (TV) Licence from your next TV Licence renewal date. To get your Free TV Licence, you must select the Television Licence option on the HBP form when you apply.
Dublin Live
09-07-2025
- General
- Dublin Live
Social welfare Ireland: Exact groups eligible for free TV licence and €420 a year before age 70
If you are aged over 70 in Ireland you are entitled to a free TV licence. There are specific social welfare groups that are eligible for a free TV licence before they turn 70 and also receive a payment worth €420 a year. The Household Benefits Package is designed to assist with your electricity or gas bill and the TV licence. All those aged 70 and up automatically qualify for the payment. Some people under 70 can avail of the HBP, though additional conditions apply, reports RSVP Live. Here's how to qualify: How to qualify? If you are under 70 and living with your spouse, cohabitant or civil partner, you can get the HBP if you are getting a qualifying social welfare payment and: You are getting an increase in your qualifying social welfare payment for them, or They are getting their own qualifying social welfare payment listed below, or They are getting a social welfare payment not listed below and they satisfy a means test You can live with other adults (who are not your spouse, cohabitant or civil partner) and get the HBP. You are between 66 and 70: State Pension (Contributory) State Pension (Non-Contributory) Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension Deserted Wife's Benefit Carer's Allowance (full or half-rate payment), but you must be living with the person you are caring for. An ordinary Garda Widow's Pension from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration An equivalent Social Security Pension or Benefit from a country covered by EU Regulations or from a country with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement If you are aged between 66 and 70 and not getting one of the payments above, you may qualify for the Household Benefits Package if you pass a means test Qualifying social welfare payments if you are under 66: Disability Allowance Invalidity Pension Blind Pension Incapacity Supplement (for at least 12 months) with Disablement Pension (for at least 12 months) Carer's Allowance (full or half-rate payment), but you must be living with the person you are caring for. An equivalent Social Security Pension or Benefit from a country covered by EU Regulations, or from a country with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement What is covered by the Household Benefits Package? There are 2 allowances in the Household Benefits Package: Allowance 1 Electricity Allowance of €35 monthly (€1.15 per day) or Natural Gas Allowance of €35 monthly (€1.15 per day) Allowance 2 Free Television Licence Electricity or Gas Allowance If you have an electricity and natural gas supply, you must choose between the Electricity Allowance and Gas Allowance. You can choose only one. The Allowance does not cover the cost of installing an electricity or natural gas supply to your home. Free Television Licence Once you qualify for the Household Benefits Package, you can get a Free Television (TV) Licence from your next TV Licence renewal date. To get your Free TV Licence, you must select the Television Licence option on the HBP form when you apply. You can find out more about it here. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Daily Mirror
28-06-2025
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ireland TV licence loophole means some don't have to pay €160 fee in 2025
Most people in Ireland know the rule - if there's a TV in your home or business, you're legally required to pay the €160 annual licence fee, regardless of how you use the device. Whether you're bingeing Netflix, playing video games or even if your television is broken and collecting dust, you're still expected to pay if the equipment is capable of receiving a broadcast signal. Fines of up to €1,000 can be issued to anyone caught without a valid licence. One licence covers an entire home or premises, even if there are multiple TVs. First-time purchases can be made at an An Post office, online or over the phone, and it must be renewed every 12 months. But not everyone has to pay. Thanks to a lesser-known exemption, some people in Ireland can legally avoid the fee in 2025 - and many may not even realise they qualify. The key to this exemption is the Household Benefits Package (HBP), a government support scheme that helps with the cost of household bills, such as electricity and gas. If you're approved for the HBP, you may also be entitled to a free TV licence. To qualify for the HBP and the free TV licence, you must meet specific criteria: Anyone aged under 70 and living with a spouse, cohabitant or civil partner can get the HBP if they are in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment, and other factors apply. In order to get the HBP, they must be getting an increase in their qualifying social welfare payment for their partner/cohabitant, or they are getting their own qualifying social welfare payment, or they are getting a social welfare payment not listed below and they satisfy a means test. They can also live with other adults who are not their spouse, cohabitant or civil partner and still get the HBP. The following social welfare payments will qualify those under 70 for the HBP. For those aged between 66 and 70 and not getting a qualifying social welfare payment, they must pass a means test. In a means test, the Department of Social Protection examines all their sources of income. The person's weekly income must be below a certain amount to pass the means test. The amount of means that they are allowed to have for the HBP is the current maximum rate of State Pension, including any increases that they might get for their age, living alone and dependants, plus €200. The main items included in the means test are: If you believe you meet the criteria, you can apply online at or download and post the application form for the Household Benefits Package. With the cost of living crisis ongoing, it's worth checking if you qualify because this little-known exemption could save you €160 in 2025.
Dublin Live
22-05-2025
- General
- Dublin Live
Social welfare Ireland: Exact criteria for scheme that helps pay energy bills
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A social welfare scheme is available that contributes towards the cost of gas, electricity and the TV licence. The Household Benefits Package is automatically available to everyone aged 70 and over. You don't need to be receiving a state pension to qualify and there's no means testing involved. Some individuals under 70 are also eligible for the scheme , but additional criteria apply. Here's all you need to know about the Household Benefits Package: Who qualifies for the Household Benefits Package Those aged over 70 who live full-time in Ireland, are the sole person in the household receiving the HBP and have an electricity or gas bill in their name are eligible for the payment. Those under 70 living with a spouse, cohabitant, civil partner or other adults can receive the payment if they are receiving a qualifying social welfare payment and: You are getting an increase in your qualifying social welfare payment for them (see list of qualifying social welfare payments below), or They are getting their own qualifying social welfare payment listed below, or They are getting a social welfare payment not listed below and they satisfy a means test The qualifying social welfare payments for people aged between 66 and 70 are: State Pension (Contributory) State Pension (Non-Contributory) Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension Deserted Wife's Benefit Carer's Allowance (full or half-rate payment), but you must be living with the person you are caring for. An ordinary Garda Widow's Pension from the Department of Justice An equivalent Social Security Pension or Benefit from a country covered by EU Regulations or from a country with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement If you are aged between 66 and 70 and are not getting a qualifying social welfare payment, you must pass a means test. The qualifying social welfare payments for those aged under 66 are: Disability Allowance Invalidity Pension Blind Pension Incapacity Supplement (for at least 12 months) with Disablement Pension (for at least 12 months) Carer's Allowance (full or half-rate payment), but you must be living with the person you are caring for. An equivalent Social Security Pension or Benefit from a country covered by EU Regulations, or from a country with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement What's included in the Household Benefits Package. The HBP offers a monthly payment of €35 towards either your electricity or natural gas bills. Additionally, it provides a free TV licence. The utility bill allowance is transferred to either a bank account or post office on the first Tuesday of every month. If your energy supplier is Electric Ireland for electricity or Bord Gais for gas, the allowance can be credited directly to your bill each month. How to apply for the Household Benefits Package You can apply online for the Household Benefits Package using if you have a MyGovID account. If you cannot apply online, you can fill in the Household Benefit Package application form (pdf) and return it to the Household Benefits Package section: Household Benefits Package, Social Welfare Services, College Road, Sligo, Ireland, F91 T384. For more information, click here. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
