All social welfare weekly payments are set to increase this week, affecting about 1.3 million pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and jobseekers.
The maximum weekly rate of pension payments is increasing by €5 per week, with proportionate increases for qualified adults and those in receipt of reduced rates of payment.
This is the first time the rate of payment for pensioners has increased since March 2019 and is expected to benefit 775,000 people nationwide.
The Living Alone Allowance is increasing for the third year in a row and will now be paid at €22 per week.
Many social welfare payment recipients will also have an increase for qualified child dependants.
The rate of payment in respect of a qualified child up to the age of 12 is increasing by €2 per week while the rate of payment is increasing by €3 for children aged 12 years and over.
This means that the increase in some households will be between €8.30 and €9.50 per week.
For households in receipt of two primary payments, such as a contributory pension, the increase will be at least €10.
Minister Humphreys also announced an expansion of the Hot School Meals Programme in the Budget, which will benefit an additional 16,000 pupils.
Announcing the increases to social welfare payments, Minister Humphreys said that the increases will “benefit hundreds of thousands of households and families across the country, including our carers, pensioners, widows, widowers, lone parents, people with disabilities and people on jobseekers payments.”
