Thousands of Irish people can benefit from €624 welfare increase in WEEKS – are you eligible?

THOUSANDS of Irish people line up for a €624 cash raise as weekly welfare payments have been rising for weeks.

Most weekly boosts will increase by €12 per week in the new year after President Michael D. Higgins signs the Social Welfare Act.

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The bill will also bring several other changes, including a €40 per week increase in threshold payments for working families and a €20.50 increase in the monthly rate of home care allowance.

The weekly welfare increase of €12 equates to an annual increase of €624 for recipients.

Social Protection Secretary Heather Humphreys said the bill will introduce over €1 billion in welfare improvements in 2023.

The government said: “The welfare package is the largest in the state’s history and will see a range of supports for pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and low-income families.

“The key provisions of the bill apply to across-the-board increases in weekly payments to pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and single parents.

“The bill also includes measures to expand the Working Family Payment to more households and means-test changes for the Farm Assist Payment.”

The most important elements of the Social Welfare Act are:

• €12 increase in the maximum rate of all weekly core payments
• The payment thresholds for working families will be increased by €40 per week for all family sizes
• A €20.50 increase in the monthly rate of Home Care Allowance, bringing the payment to €330 per month
• Increase payments by €2 for children of welfare recipients to €42 per week for children under 12 and €50 per week for children aged 12 and over
• Farm Assist, Jobseeker’s Allowance and State Non-Contributory Pension – a double of the amount of income that can be drawn from agri-environmental schemes and count towards the determination of funds – €5,000 cannot be taken into account from January
• extend the right to participate in community employment programs to spouses, domestic partners or domestic partners of unemployment benefit recipients
• Income increases attracting the lower employer PRSI rate, in line with the increase in the national minimum wage, which should boost employment, particularly in the service sector.

Minister Humphreys said: “I am delighted that the Welfare Bill has passed both chambers and has now been enacted by our President. The law gives effect to a variety of budgetary measures.

“The bill will increase weekly payment rates for pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and other core weekly payments by €12. This represents the largest increase in weekly payments in over a decade.

“To take some of the pressure off low-income families, I’m expanding the payment thresholds for working families so more households are eligible for the payment.

“I’m also making changes to the Farm Assist means test to support our farmers and we continue the policy of increasing the rates paid to children of people on welfare payments.”

CARE CRITERIA

She added: “Every year there are a number of babies who are born with serious medical conditions that require them to stay in hospital after birth. Under current Home Care Allowance legislation, children who do not leave the hospital after birth are not entitled to the payment.

“This law will change those rules so families in this very difficult situation are now eligible for the payment.

“Furthermore, I am increasing the payout rate from €309.50 to €330 per month. This is the first increase in the home care allowance in many years.

“The changes in the Welfare Act, along with the unprecedented series of lump sum payments recently issued, are designed to give people more money back and help families across the country with living expenses.”

Meanwhile, Irish parents will see their childcare costs cut by HUNDREDS within weeks as major fee changes go into effect.

Thousands have already received notifications from daycare centers of how much they will be saving each month once the 2023 budget changes take effect.