Dates for Budget 'Cost of Living' supports announced
Payments will support hundreds of thousands.
The payment dates for eight upcoming Budget Cost of Living supports have been announced.
From next Monday (October 17), the Autumn Double Lump Sum Payment will be paid to social protection recipients including all pensioners, carers and people on disability payments.
There will be a double payment of Child Benefit on November 1.
On the week commencing Monday, November 14, there will be four more significant payments.
A €500 Disability Support Grant will be paid to people with disabilities; a €500 Cost of Living Payment will be paid to those in receipt of Working Family Payment; and a €200 payment will be made to people in receipt of Living Alone Allowance.
A €400 Fuel Allowance Lump Sum Payment meanwhile will be paid in the same week to households.
On the week commencing Monday, November 21, a €500 Carer’s Support Grant will be provided to all those in receipt of the Carers’ Support Grant.
The annual Christmas Bonus Double Payment will finally be paid on the week commencing December 5.
In addition to the series of lump-sum payments, 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 – and across-the-board welfare increases of €12 per week. These measures will take effect in January 2023.
Minister for Social Protection and Rural & Community Development Heather Humphreys said many more households in Cavan and Monaghan will be supported for the first time than before.
“These payments will support hundreds of thousands of our citizens, including our pensioners and most vulnerable, with the Cost of Living pressures over the winter months.”
She adds that Budget 2023 was designed to help in the short term and alleviate some of the pressures they are under.
“I believe we will achieve this through the blend of lump sums, as well as the increases in people’s core weekly rates, which were also announced on Budget Day.”
Senator Joe O’Reilly welcomed the supports.
“Fine Gael is determined to put money back in people’s pockets and assist them with the rising cost of living. My colleague Minister Heather Humphreys recently delivered the largest social protection Budget in the history of the state, with a mix of lump sum supports and increases to weekly payments.
Senator O’Reilly concluded: “Thanks to Fine Gael’s careful management of the economy over recent years, all of this is possible without Ireland having to borrow, unlike what we are seeing in other countries. We also have a €6 billion reserve fund set aside for any additional challenges we may face next year.”