Social welfare core rates will increase by €12 per week across the board.
It is understood that Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys had wanted a €15 increase and pensions and carers to be prioritised over jobseekers.
Here is a list of all the expected increases in social welfare payments:
Welfare double payments
– Double payment of all welfare rates in October and December.
– Double payment of child benefit in November and December.
Additional bonus payments:
– €400 bonus payment of disability support grant
– €400 bonus payment carers support grant
– €200 living alone allowance bonus payment
– 400 working family payment bonus payment
– €100 child support grant (formerly qualified child) bonus payment
– Major increase in the Carer’s Allowance means test limits to €625 per week for a single person and €1250 per week for a couple
– Carer’s Support Grant will be increased to €2000
– Carer’s Benefit will be extended to Self-Employed workers
– Carer’s Allowance will be made a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance
– A €400 Lump Sum Payment for Carers
– Two Double Payments for Carers in October and November
– €12 increase in weekly Carers Payments from January
– €20 increase in the Domiciliary Care Allowance
Parents of newborns will receive a special one-off baby boost of €420, while ministers have also agreed a €15 weekly increase in maternity, paternity and parents’ benefit.
The weekly rates paid through the two schemes along with the parents’ benefit will all increase to €289.
The Green Party had been pushing for a baby-boost payment of €560 but have settled on €420 in Budget negotiations.
The new payment will kick in from January 1 on a permanent basis.
“The Green Party has always said that parents should be able to focus on welcoming their newborns into the world without having to worry about the costs of having a child, such as a new buggy, cot, car seat, clothes, mattresses, sterilisers, nappies and much, much more,” a Green Party source said.
“No one should have to go into debt when having a baby, so this increased Child Benefit payment will be a significant help to people.”