Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said Budget 2023 measures will add €2.2 billion to social welfare spending.
Despite a strong economy and high employment, planned spend on social welfare through 2023 will be the largest in the history of the state.
A major expansion of the Fuel Allowance Scheme will see up to 81,000 new households supported with their fuel cost for the first time.
Across-the-board increases of €12 per week will be combined with a series of lump sum payments in areas such as Child Benefit, Fuel Allowance and the Living Alone Allowance.
There will be an Autumn Cost of Living Double Payment, followed by a Christmas Bonus Double Payment.
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Among the benefits being doled out are:
- €400 Lump Sum payment to all households receiving the Fuel Allowance payment in November
- A double payment of Child Benefit for families receiving this payment to be paid in November
- A €200 Lump Sum payment for pensioners and people with a disability receiving the Living Alone Allowance
- A once off payment of €500 to all carers receiving the Carer’s Support Grant in November
- A once off payment of €500 to people receiving Invalidity Pension, Disability Allowance and Blind Pension
- A €500 Lump Sum payment to families receiving the Working Family Payment
- Qualified Child Payments in weekly rates will be increased by €2 in January 2023 bringing them to €50 for Over 12s and €42 for Under 12s
- Changes to Farm Assist means test from January 2023 to exempt income from Agri-Environmental Schemes up to €5,000
- €12 increase in Maternity/Paternity/Adoptive/Parent’s Benefit from January 2023
- Means assessment threshold for Fuel Allowance increases from €120 to €200 with effect from January 2023
- Half-rate Carer’s Allowance will be disregarded in the means assessment for Fuel Allowance with effect from January 2023
- Domiciliary Care Allowance will increase by €20.50 to €330 per month with effect from January 2023
- Disablement Benefit will be disregarded in the means assessment for Fuel Allowance with effect from January 2023
- €1 million Expansion of the Reasonable Accommodation Fund to support people with disabilities in the Workplace
- The earnings disregard for Disability Allowance and Blind Pension will be increased from €140 to €165 with effect from January 2023.
“I’m pleased to announce the largest single Social Protection package in the history of the state,” said minister Humphreys.
“In December, the traditional Christmas Bonus will also be paid to 1.3 million people. That will follow an Autumn Double lump sum payment in October.
“As we head towards 2023, I am today announcing a €12 increase in weekly rates of payment for pensioners and people of working age. I will be allocating an additional €880 million through this measure with other measures including extension of Fuel Allowance Coverage and improvements to the Domiciliary Care Allowance, bringing the total funding for new measures for next year to over €1bn
“In practical terms, this means that the basic social welfare increase for a working age two-adult household will be over €20 per week.”
Joe O’Brien, Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, added:
“This budget also increased supports for people involved in our employment support schemes. “Participants of CE, Tús and the Rural Social Scheme will receive a combined increase of €17 per week with effect from January.”
Photo: Minister Heather Humphreys. (Pic: RollingNews.ie)
