Irish adults who live alone may be eligible for a social welfare payment worth €1,144 per year.
The 'Living Alone Increase' is an extra payment of €22 per week issued to people who are already on social welfare. There are different criteria to qualify for the payment depending on your age.
Those aged under 66 will be eligible if they live alone and are receiving one of the following payments: Disability allowance, invalidity pension, incapacity supplement or the blind pension.
Those aged over 66 will qualify if they live alone and receive one of the following payments: State pension (contributory), state pension (non-contributory), widows, widower's or surviving civil partner's (contributory) pension, widow/widower's pension under the occupational injuries benefit scheme, incapacity supplement under the occupational injuries benefit scheme or the deserted wife's benefit.
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Anyone applying for the payment must live completely alone to qualify, however the Department of Social Protection outlined some exceptions:
- "If you are living in an extension of a family member's home, for example, in a granny flat, you can qualify for the increase if you can show that you have facilities to cook and eat alone. You must also have your own living/dining and sleeping accommodation
- "You may also qualify as living alone if you are aged or infirm and have a friend or relative to stay for security reasons at night-time only. The friend or relative must not contribute to the household financially
- "The increase may also be payable if you live alone during the day but stay with relatives or friends at night or if you live alone during the week but have a relative to stay at the weekend (the living alone condition is satisfied as long as the relative has a permanent home address elsewhere)
- "You will also qualify if you live alone but occasionally take in paying guests (for example, during a local festival). However, if you run a bed and breakfast business (even for part of the year) you will not qualify
- "People who live in sheltered accommodation may qualify if they are regarded as living independently within the institution. The department provides a list of hostels and homes where a living alone increase is payable. You will not qualify if you share dormitory accommodation with others, or have round-the clock supervision or nursing care
- "People who live in nursing homes will not qualify as they cannot be regarded as living completely or mainly alone."
If you believe you qualify for the Living Alone Increase, you can find the application form here.
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