There has been a lot of debate online in recent weeks as the government plans new ways of helping lower and middle income families afford the rising costs of living in Ireland.
Everything from home energy to petrol has seen an increase in price, and with the impending carbon tax hike coming in May, many could be struggling to pay their way.
As the government lays out new plans to assist those in need, there is a scheme in place already that can help social welfare recipients meet these high costs.
The Household Budget Scheme is in place to allow certain people to spread the cost of some household bills over the entire year.
The scheme is operated by An Post and in order to qualify, you must be getting a specified social welfare payment and your payment must be paid through your local post office.
The Household Budget Scheme is free of charge and a fixed amount is deducted from your social welfare payment each week to help pay specified bills.
To qualify for the Household Budget Scheme you must be getting one of the following social welfare payments:
- Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
- Disability Allowance
- Blind Pension
- Carer's Allowance
- Carer's Benefit
- Farm Assist
- Invalidity Pension
- Jobseeker’s Benefit
- Jobseeker’s Allowance (and Jobseeker's Transitional payment)
- State Pension (Contributory)
- State Pension (Non–Contributory)
- One-Parent Family Payment
- Pre-Retirement Allowance
- Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension
- Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non–Contributory) Pension
- Back to Education Allowance
- Supplementary Welfare Allowance (basic payment)
Currently you can pay the following service providers under the Scheme:
- Local authority rent and Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contributions (for new applications, from 1 January 2014, you cannot withdraw from the scheme without the consent of your housing body)
- ESB
- Bord Gáis
- Eir
- Airtricity
- Postmobile (prepaid mobile phone services)
You can choose to cover the full amount of the bill, but you cannot however have more than 25% of your total weekly social welfare payment deducted under this scheme.
A minimum amount must be deducted each week for each bill to be paid under the Household Budget Scheme.
To open an account, you need to complete a Household Budget Deduction Instruction Form for each bill you want to make a weekly payment towards.
Send your completed form marked 'Freepost’ to An Post, G.P.O., Dublin 1, Ireland, or pick up a form in your local Post Office.
It can take about 28 days to process a request and to have deductions made from your social welfare payment.
