Minister Humphreys announces 1.4 million people to receive October Bonus Payment next week
- Published on: 25 October 2024
- Last updated on: 31 October 2024
- additional payments worth €350 million to be paid next week
- first of 10 lump sum payments to help with Cost of Living
- payments to support families, pensioners, carers, and people with disabilities
The Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys has today announced that the October Bonus will be paid to 1.4 million people next week.
The October Bonus provides a 100% increase in the weekly rate of payment for eligible recipients such as pensioners, carers and people with disabilities.
The October Bonus is the first of 10 lump-sum payments totalling €1.4 billion to help with the Cost of Living.
The lump-sum payments were announced as part of the record Social Protection Budget announced earlier this month.
The Social Protection budget – the largest in the history of the State – will assist households with the Cost of Living through a mix of lump sum payments, targeted supports and increases to weekly payments.
Announcing the details today Minister Humphreys said:
“As Minister for Social Protection, my priority is to support the people most seriously impacted by the cost of living.
“That’s why today I am announcing the first of ten lump-sum payments between now and Christmas.
“These will be so important in terms of supporting the likes of our pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and working families.
“Next week’s double payment will support 1.4 million people across the State.
“And it will be followed by further supports next month, including a €300 lump sum payment for those in receipt of the Fuel Allowance and a €200 lump sum payment for those in receipt of the Living Alone Allowance.
“There will also be a €400 Carers and Disability Support payment in November as well as double payments of Child Benefit in both November and December.”
Notes
The October Bonus payment is automatically paid - people do not need to apply.
In addition to the series of lump-sum payments, Minister Humphreys also secured across-the-board payment increases and a range of targeted supports, which take effect from January 2025. The full list of Budget 2025 Social Protection measures is available at gov.ie/dspbudget2025.