Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, has disclosed the payment schedule for the €1.2 billion Cost of Living supports outlined in Budget 2024, constituting the most extensive Social Protection package in the history of the State. Aimed at aiding pensioners, carers, individuals with disabilities, and families coping with the escalating cost of living, the comprehensive initiative encompasses a combination of lump sum disbursements and augmented weekly payments.
Nine lump-sum payments are scheduled between November 2023 and January 2024, including:
A €400 lump sum Working Family Payment is to be disbursed to 46,000 families during the week commencing November 20th.
A €300 Fuel Allowance Lump Sum Payment to be provided to 409,000 households during the same week.
A €400 Disability Support Grant for individuals with disabilities during the week commencing November 20th.
A €400 Carer’s Support Grant for the nation’s carers during the week commencing November 27th. Those qualifying for both Disability and Carer’s Support Grant will receive a consolidated bonus payment of €400.
A €200 lump sum payment for the 237,000 recipients of the Living Alone Allowance, along with a €100 cost of living lump sum payment per child for those receiving an Increase for a Qualified Child on their social welfare payment, during the week commencing November 27th.
A Christmas Bonus Double Payment in the week commencing December 4th for over 1.3 million people.
Doubling of Child Benefit on December 5th, supporting 650,000 families with 1.2 million children.
A January Double Payment in the week commencing January 29th, 2024, benefiting over 1.3 million individuals.
Minister Humphreys emphasised the significance of the €1.2 billion payments, designed to alleviate financial strain and provide certainty to recipients during the winter months. Budget 2024, she noted, represents the largest social protection budget package in the nation’s history, employing a strategic mix of lump-sum payments, increased weekly rates, and targeted measures to address the prevailing challenges of the cost of living.
For more information visit: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/fd60d-ministers-humphreys-announces-payment-dates-for-budget-2024-cost-of-living-lump-sum-supports/
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