Many older people and carers in Ireland qualify for help with their electricity or gas bill and never claim it. The Household Benefits Package is the scheme most often missed. Here is what the Department of Social Protection says, as of its page updated on 7 October 2026.
What you actually get
The package has two parts: help with your electricity or gas bill, and a free television licence, available from its next renewal date.
At €1.15 a day, a 30-day month gives about €34.50 (1.15 × 30). Over a full 365-day year that is €419.75 (1.15 × 365). The monthly payment varies slightly with the number of days in the month. gov.ie doesn’t state a money value for the TV licence, so we don’t either.
Who qualifies
The rules depend on your age and what you receive:
- Age 70 or over: no means test and no qualifying payment needed.
- Age 66 to 70: you need a qualifying payment, such as State Pension (Contributory or Non-contributory), Carer’s Allowance, or Incapacity Supplement with Disablement Benefit. With no qualifying payment, you must pass a means test.
- Under 66: you qualify if you receive Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension, Carer’s Allowance (while living with the person you care for), Incapacity Supplement with Disablement Pension for at least 12 months, or an equivalent foreign payment.
- Carers: Carer’s Allowance recipients living with the person they care for can qualify, as can people caring for a co-resident who gets Constant Attendance Allowance.
- Bereaved partners: those aged 60 to 65 getting a Bereaved Partner’s Pension or Garda Widow’s Ordinary Pension may qualify.
- Spouses, civil partners and cohabitants: conditions apply, such as an Increase for a Qualified Adult, a qualifying payment of their own, or a means test.
If you rent
Tenants can qualify too. Your landlord must confirm your tenancy, provide your MPRN (electricity) or GPRN (gas) meter reference number, and confirm that you pay your own energy bills.
How to apply
- Online: through MyWelfare.ie.
- By post: download form HB1 (July 2026 edition) and send it with your supporting documents to the Household Benefits Package Section, Department of Social Protection, College Road, Sligo, Co. Sligo, F91 T384.
- Email: householdbenefits@welfare.ie
- Phone: 0818 200 400 or 071 9157 100
What changed in September 2025
That means the money no longer shows up as a line on your bill. Check your bank account on the first Tuesday of the month, and don’t expect your supplier’s statement to reflect it.
Don’t confuse it with the Fuel Allowance
These are two different schemes. The Household Benefits Package helps with electricity or gas all year. The Fuel Allowance is a separate winter heating payment with its own rules and its own application.
On Budget 2027, gov.ie says the Fuel Allowance rises by €5, from €38 to €43 a week, for the period from 1 January 2027. The Budget 2027 page we checked shows no change to the Household Benefits Package.
Make the money go further
The allowance helps, but your supplier’s rates still matter. See our tips on cutting your electricity bill and how to switch electricity supplier. gov.ie does not say whether a household can receive both the electricity and gas allowances, or how the choice is made, so ask the Department if that applies to you. This article is general information, not personal financial advice.
