ALL WEEKLY SOCIAL welfare payments are set to increase by €5, Finance and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe has announced.
The increase will kick in during the last week of March 2018 and will impact people in receipt of payments such as the Jobseeker’s Allowance, Disability Allowance, Carer’s Allowance and the State Pension.
When announcing Budget 2018 in the Dáil this afternoon, Donohoe said those in receipt of social welfare – such as carers, disabled people and the unemployed – “must continue to be supported in meeting the challenges they face on a day to day basis”.
A Christmas bonus of 85% will be paid to all social welfare recipients this year.
A €20 increase in the earnings disregard for the One Parent Family Payment and Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment scheme was also announced.
Donohoe said the threshold for the Family Income Supplement will increase by €10 per week for families with up to three children. There’ll also be a €2 weekly increase in the rate of the Qualified Child Payment.
A new weekly telephone support of €2.50 for people in receipt of both the living alone allowance and the fuel allowance was also confirmed.
There will also be an additional 250 places for the Rural Social Scheme, along with an increase in the Free Travel Scheme and the Fuel Allowance, Donohoe said.
Meanwhile, the annual home carer credit is being increased by €100 to €1,200.
“The increases in social welfare payments and more targeted measures for working families announced today will have a positive effect on redistributing income and in reducing the risk of poverty and inequality.
“I believe these changes are an essential contribution to a fairer and more decent society,” Donohoe said.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say