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MINISTER FOR SOCIAL Protection Heather Humphreys has defended the provision of two double child benefit payments to all families with children this year.

Humphreys said it a family doesn’t need the additional child benefit payments they can give them back. 

As part of Budget 2025, an unprecedented two double child benefit payments will be made before Christmas this year, one in November and one in December. 

Last year, one double child benefit payment was paid.

Think-tank Social Justice Ireland has criticised the decision to rely on one-off lump sum payments rather than increasing the monthly rate to support low income families. 

During a press conference this afternoon, Minister Humphreys was asked what her response is to people who say there is an element of ‘waste’ with these additional payments and that they should have been targeted to families who really need them.

“I wouldn’t see too many people that don’t need it. You might think a lot of people don’t need it, well, if they don’t need it they can give it back,” Humphreys said.

The minister explained the government’s rationale for the decision and said the reason for the two double payments this year is because last year’s payment was “extremely, extremely popular”. 

“There’s a lot of pressure on families, let’s face it…Many people said to me that it was a real boost coming up to Christmas,” Humphreys said. 

She made the point that the separate child support payment (formerly the Increase for A Qualified Child) is a targeted measure for low income families.

When asked if she accepts that some families are in a position to save their child benefit payment when other families rely on it for day-to-day spending, driving further inequality in society, Minister Humphreys said: 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I worked in a credit union for years and people say, ‘oh, millionaires get it [child benefit]‘, I didn’t see too many millionaires. I saw a lot of parents that were damn glad of it. And that’s my view on it. It’s a universal payment, and I can see that it’s a benefit to families, and it helps them.”

When the minister was then asked if many millionaires are typically saving in credit unions, Humpreys said: “Well I saw a few boys with plenty of money”.

“I get this every year. I told you, I worked in the credit union for many years. I didn’t see many millionaires coming in the door. I saw people coming in that door that needed that payment.

“It’s a universal payment. And if you start means tested, you have winners, you love losers.

It has that universal aspect to it and I’m happy that it continues that way,” the Minister said.

It is possible to return unwanted child benefit payments to the Department but it is understood that very few families do. 

In an interview with The Journal, Humphrey’s comments were put to Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe. 

Donohoe said it is a matter for individuals if they want to give the child benefit payment back to the state, as suggested by Humphreys. 

"A small few may not need it, but the vast majority do"

Minister Paschal Donohoe is asked about Heather Humphreys' suggestion that those who don't need the double child benefit payment can give it back. #Budget2025 pic.twitter.com/Jc7QVchhiX

— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) October 1, 2024

“This is a measure that is targeted towards those who have children. A small few may not need it, the vast majority do,” Donohoe said.