MINISTER FOR SOCIAL Protection Heather Humphreys has confirmed that welfare rates will increase for pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and working families in Budget 2024.
Asked how much rates would rise by, Humphreys said the finer details were yet to be decided.
The minister also said she was pushing for “lump sum” welfare payments, and that she was supportive of the “very popular” double child benefit as part of the cost-of-living package accompanying the budget.
The total cost of Budget 2024 is around €6.4 billion, with taxation measures worth €1.1 billion of the total.
The value of the cost-of-living measures has not been stated, but is expected to be less than last year’s package, with one-off electricity credits expected to be under the three €200-energy credits in Budget 2023.
The three coalition leaders are due to meet with Finance Minister Michael McGrath and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe this afternoon to finalise details.
McGrath indicated yesterday that people’s standard of living would improve on the back of Tuesday’s budget, and said he hoped the measures would have their desired effect.
One of the largest looming issues to be resolved is the overrun in the Department of Health, with Tánaiste Micheál Martin saying that population growth in Ireland over a short space of time had led to an increased demand for health, education and childcare services.
Speaking ahead of the budget, Humphreys confirmed that pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and working families “will receive an increase in their core weekly rate”.
“I’ll be pushing hard to deliver a strong package that supports households with the cost of living and puts money back in people’s pockets, and there’s no secret that the groups I’m advocating strongly for are older people, are carers, people with disabilities and working families,” she told RTÉ’s This Week programme.
“I am proposing that we have an across-the-board increase in welfare payments and we’ll also have a package of lump sum payments that are targeted at specific areas, but again, it’s subject to negotiation and I don’t have the finer details yet.”
Asked about reports of a €12-a-week welfare payment increase, she said any rise in the rates was still subject to negotiations.
“Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, but I do want to assure our pensioners, our carers, our people with disabilities and our working families that they will receive an increase in their core weekly rate.”
Asked whether there will be a double child benefit payment in Budget 2024, she said: “There’s nothing nailed down yet, but we did do a double child benefit payment last year, and I have to say, it’s got a very positive feedback.
“There are many mothers and they’re very glad of it, and they were very glad of it last year.
“It supports working families, and we all know things get tight coming up to Christmas, and I was young working mother myself and I saw that first-hand.
“So what we’re trying to do is support working families and give them a helping hand, you know, when they need it, so I certainly am very supportive of that particular measure.”
She added that she wanted to see the hot school meals programme rolled out beyond Deis schools, or schools in disadvantaged areas, and on to every primary school in the country over the coming years.
Asked whether the core child benefit payment should be increased, Humphreys said: “Even though the economy has been doing extremely well, there’s still a limited pot available and I have to make choices.”
Asked about mortgage interest relief, she acknowledged that some people had seen their mortgage go up by “€500, €600 or indeed more”.
“As a government we want to try and help them. It certainly won’t go all the way and Minister (for Finance Michael) McGrath has been working on this matter, I think he plans to announce details on Tuesday as well.”
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