The Government has signed off on over €1billion in social welfare improvements for 2023.
The measures are on top of the eight bonus payments that were announced in Budget 2023, most of which have already been rolled out. Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys brought the Social Welfare bill to Cabinet for signing off earlier this week and it will now make its way through the Dáil and Seanad.
Minister Humphreys said "many of these" changes will take effect in January 2023. Here's the full list of social welfare changes being implemented in the New Year:
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- "€12 increase in the maximum rate of all core weekly payments
- "Working Family Payment thresholds to increase by €40 per week for all family sizes;
- "An increase of €20.50 in the monthly rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance bringing the payment to €330 per month. This is the first increase since 2009 for people who play a valuable and difficult role in Irish society – parents or guardians who look after a child with a severe disability;
- "€2 increase in payments in respect of children of social welfare recipients, bringing the payment 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 doubling in the amount of income that can be derived from agri-environmental schemes (e.g., Glas, ACRES) and counted in assessing means. As a result of this measure, €5,000 can be disregarded from January;
- "Extended eligibility for participation on Community Employment Schemes to spouses, civil partners or cohabitants of Jobseeker’s Allowance recipients;
- "Increase in earnings attracting the lower Employer PRSI rate in line with increase in the national minimum wage which should encourage employment especially in the service sector.”
This month saw the roll-out of multiple bonus cost of living payments that were announced in the Budget. These included a €400 Fuel Allowance payment, a €500 Working Family Payment and a €500 lump sum for recipients of the Disability Allowance.
This week a €500 Carers Support Grant was paid to 114,500 carers across the country. The Christmas Bonus social welfare payment is due to be paid the week starting 5 December 2022.
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