More than 13,500 households across Carlow and Kilkenny will be getting the Fuel Allowance this winter.
It’ll mean €1,324 per home over the next 28 weeks and more people can apply from January.
Of the 13,725 local beneficiaries for the next seven months, 6,202 are in Carlow with 7,523 in Kilkenny.
It’s worth €33 a week or in two lump sum payments if people prefer.
An extra €400 Lump Sum for all getting the Allowance was also announced in the budget and will be paid in mid-November, bringing the total payout to €1,324 per household.
The largest ever expansion of the scheme takes effect from January with a new means test for the over seventies.
Under this change, a single person can have an income of €500 per week and a couple can have an income of €1,000 per week.
For a couple where only one person is over 70, they will be assessed under the same criteria.
The weekly means threshold for under 70 will also be increased by €80 per week, from €120 to €200 above the weekly rate of State Contributory Pension.
