Over 50,000 Irish families, including thousands in Mayo and Kildare, received first Fuel Allowance payments of up to €380 retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026.

Over 1,400 families in Mayo and more than 2,400 in Kildare receiving the Working Family Payment are today getting their first Fuel Allowance payments, part of a nationwide expansion announced in Budget 2026. The allowance, now reaching about 50,000 households, provides €38 weekly and up to €380 in back payments retroactive to January 1, 2026. The payments, administered by the Department of Social Protection, aim to ease energy cost pressures for low-income working families and extend support to those on Disability Allowance or Blind Pension entering employment.