MINISTER FOR SOCIAL Protection Heather Humphreys has announced the details of three cost-of-living supports that will be paid to thousands of households this week. 

The payments, totalling €133 million, were agreed in Budget 2024. 

On Thursday, a €400 lump sum payment will be paid to around 120,000 carers who receive the Carer’s Support Grant.

From Wednesday to Friday, a €200 lump sum payment will be paid to around 240,000 people who are in receipt of the Living Alone Allowance.

Throughout the week, a lump sum of €100 per child will be paid to families in respect of 370,000 qualified children.

This is paid to people who receive an Increase for a Qualified Child on their primary social welfare payment.

People will receive the lump sum payment in addition to and on the same day that they usually receive their primary payment.

All of the payments are automatically paid and people do not need to apply for them.

Humphreys also announced a new scheme to provide pension provision for long-term carers.

The Long Term Carers Contributions scheme is set to make it easier for a long-term carer to qualify for a Contributory State Pension.

Under the scheme, any period in which a carer is registered as providing care to a person who has a disability that requires full-time care and attention can be included in their pay-related social insurance (PRSI) record for Contributory State Pension purposes.

In order to avail of these changes, a minimum of 20 years of long-term carers contributions are required.

Announcing the scheme at a Family Carers Ireland local carer support group meeting in Baldoyle Community Hall in Dublin, Humphreys said: 

“I am delighted to announce this scheme, which will ensure that long-term carers of dependents are provided with contributions for gaps in their social insurance record for the first time in the history of the State.

“This will help ensure that thousands of people, mainly women, who have spent time caring for incapacitated loved ones will now be able to qualify for the Contributory State Pension,” she said. 

The Minister encouraged all carers to register their caring periods so that in cases where they have cared for a loved one for over 20 years, “their pension entitlement reflects their important contribution to their family and to society by the time they reach pension age”.

Carers can apply for Long-Term Carers contributions at MyWelfare.ie.