Schools are set to be done for the summer soon and it's set to be a busy June with several social welfare payments due to be paid.
According to the Department of Social Protection, around 46,000 people who qualify for the Working Family Payment have already been paid the April cost-of-living payment, RSVP reports. Thousands of people are due to receive this welcome payment by the end of this week.
But there are still plenty of other once-off payments that you can apply for and receive this month. The social welfare payments that are open for applications and can be received this month include Child Benefit, Working Family Payment, Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, and Carer's Support Grant.
Here's everything you need to know about these four payments, who's eligible to get them, when they arrive, and how much you're entitled to receive.
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Child Benefit
Earlier this month many parents would have received their regular Child Benefit payment - along with an additional once-off extra €100.
Due to the date change associated with the June Bank Holiday, most parents received it earlier than June 6. The extra €100 is to help with the cost of living after being introduced in the Government's spring cost of living package.
It's important to note that that it is not a permanent increase, and next month in July you should receive just your regular payment.
Working Family Payment
The Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly, tax-free payment made to employees with children. In order to qualify, you must meet a certain weekly income threshold that depends on how many children you have.
A spokesperson for the Department of Social Protection said that around 46,000 people who qualify for the Working Family Payment have already been paid the April cost of living payment. Most people will have received this payment at the start of this week, and if you haven't gotten it just yet it should be paid to you by the end of this week at the latest.
Criteria to qualify for the Working Family Payment:
- Employees must must be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment (you can't get this payment if you're self-employed)
- Your job is likely to last at least 3 months
- You have at least one child who normally lives with you
- You earn less than the WFP income limit set for your family size
A spokesperson for the Department of Social Protection said: "If a WFP customer was not in payment between 17th April and 23rd April 2023, but has since been awarded the WFP retrospectively, there will be an entitlement to receive the Cost of Living payment provided it has not already been paid on another qualifying scheme.
“These cases are currently being validated and are due to be paid in the next two weeks.”
Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
Applications opened earlier this month for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance which is due to be paid in the coming weeks, before children return to school in September.
The payment was set up to help with the cost of uniforms and footwear for children going to school. Parents of children aged 4-11 will be getting €260 and for children aged 12 and over they'll receive €385.
Parents will also receive an added €100, which was confirmed earlier in the year as a spring cost of living cash boost. The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is due to be paid by July 10, with applications open until September 30, 2023.
The following criteria is needed to qualify:
- You must be receiving a qualifying social welfare payment or participating in an approved employment, education, or training support scheme.
- Your household income must fall within the BSCFA income limit.
- You and the child you're claiming the allowance for must be residents of Ireland.
- If you're receiving a social welfare payment, make sure you're also receiving an Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) with your payment.
Department of Social Protection will let you know if you are paid automatically using your MyWelfare account, or by post, before the end of June 2023. For more information or to apply you can visit their website here.
Carer's Support Grant
The Carer's Support Grant is is available to all carers providing full-time care to an older person or a person with a disability, regardless of their means or social insurance contributions.
It's paid automatically every June, and the Government recently announced that the grant has increased to €1,850. Nearly 28,000 carers in Dublin out of some 125,000 across the country would have received it automatically the week beginning 1 June.
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