Get help with your electricity or gas bill and a free TV licence. Find out if you qualify by age or payment, and apply online or by post.
The Household Benefits Package gives you an allowance towards your electricity or gas bill, plus a free TV licence. You apply on MyWelfare.ie or with paper form HB1, and there is no means test if you are 70 or over.
Do you qualify?
You must live in Ireland full-time. Only one person in a household can get the package. The bill does not need to be in your name.
| Your age | What you need |
|---|---|
| 70 or over | Nothing else. No means test and no pension needed. |
| 66 to 70 | A qualifying payment, such as a State Pension, Carer's Allowance or Bereaved Partner's Pension. Without one, you can be means tested. |
| Under 66 | A qualifying payment, such as Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension or Carer's Allowance (if you live with the person you care for). |
| 60 to 65, bereaved | You may qualify if your late partner had the package and you get a qualifying bereavement payment. |
The means test for people aged 66 to 70 looks at income and capital, such as savings and property other than your home. Your weekly means must be below the top State Pension (Contributory) rate plus €200.
What you need
- Your PPS (Personal Public Service) number
- A verified MyGovID account to apply online
- Your MPRN (Meter Point Reference Number), the 11-digit number on your electricity bill, or your GPRN (Gas Point Registration Number), the 7-digit number on your gas bill
- Your TV licence number, if you have one
- Your IBAN and BIC, or the post office you want to use
- If you rent: a letter from your landlord confirming you are a tenant, your MPRN or GPRN, and that you pay your own energy bills
Step by step: apply online
- Find your MPRN or GPRN on a recent electricity or gas bill.
- Log in to MyWelfare.ie with your verified MyGovID.
- Choose Household Benefits Package from the list of services.
- Pick the Electricity Allowance or the Gas Allowance. If you have both, you can choose only one.
- Tick the Free Television Licence as well, if you want it.
- Enter your bank or post office details and submit.
- Watch for a decision in your MyWelfare account or by post.
Step by step: apply by post
- Download form HB1 from gov.ie/householdpackage.
- Fill in your details, your MPRN or GPRN and your payment details.
- Answer question 20 if you are aged 66 to 70 with no qualifying payment and want a means test.
- Post it to Household Benefits Package Section, Department of Social Protection, College Road, Sligo, F91 T384.
How much it costs and how long it takes
The Department does not publish a processing time. Since 8 September 2025, new applicants get the allowance as a direct payment to a bank or post office, not as a credit on the bill. Budget 2027 did not change the package.
Common mistakes
- Applying for two people in the same home. Only one package is paid per household.
- Not applying at 70 because you have no pension. You do not need one.
- Expecting a credit on your bill. New claims are paid into your account.
- Forgetting to reapply after you move. A change of address needs a new application.
- Assuming a hospital stay ends it. Stays of up to 13 weeks in a row do not affect the package, but moving into residential care does.
If something goes wrong
- Household Benefits Package section: 0818 200 400 or 071 915 7100, or householdbenefits@welfare.ie.
- There is no service for personal callers in Sligo. Use phone, email or post.
- If you are refused, you can appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office within 60 days of your decision letter.
- Citizens Information Phone Service: 0818 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm.
Related guides
- How to apply for the Fuel Allowance
- How to apply for a Free Travel pass
- How to apply for the State Pension (Contributory)
- How to apply for Carer's Allowance
- How to get a verified MyGovID
Budget 2027 left the package unchanged. The means test limit is linked to the State Pension (Contributory), which rises to €309.30 a week.
