Telephone Support Allowance

The Telephone Support Allowance (TSA) is an extra weekly payment for people on certain social welfare payments who are also getting both the Living Alone Increase and the Fuel Allowance.

It can help people living alone with the cost of communications or a home alert system.

You do not need to apply for Telephone Support Allowance because it is paid automatically to people who qualify. It is paid with your main weekly social welfare payment.

To qualify, you must be getting both the Living Alone Increase and the Fuel Allowance along with one of the following payments:

• State Pension (Contributory)
• State Pension (Non-Contributory)
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme
• Invalidity Pension
• Disability Allowance
• Blind Pension
• Disablement Pension (Incapacity Supplement)
• Deserted Wife's Benefit

You can read more about the Telephone Support Allowance on Gov.ie.

The Telephone Support Allowance is an additional sum paid on the same day and by the same method, as your main weekly payment.

You do not need to apply for the Telephone Support Allowance (TSA) because it is paid automatically to people who qualify. There is no application form.

If you think you qualify for TSA but haven’t received an automatic payment, you should contact the section in the Department of Social Protection that pays your main social welfare payment (see the list of qualifying payments in ‘How to qualify for Telephone Support Allowance’ above).