Re: Not out of work long enough to claim!
Yes, I'm afraid the decisions are correct - one must be in receipt of long-term Jobseeker's Allowance in order to qualify for the fuel allowance and to receive a Christmas Bonus.
"Long-term" is defined as 15 months or more - in the past, the "long-term" rate of payment was higher than the "short-term" rate. All payments are the same now.
If you're still unemployed in Jan 2009, you should re-apply for the fuel allowance as you'll be claiming for 15 months at that stage. The fuel scheme runs until the end of April, so if you qualify, you'll still get 3-4 months of the allowance (which will be €20 per week from Jan).