Budget 2022

Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, has announced a social welfare budget package worth €558 million for 2022. The Minister also secured agreement for a 100% Christmas Bonus to be paid in December 2021 at an estimated cost of over €313m.

• maximum rate of all core weekly payments increases by €5 with proportionate increases for Qualified Adults
• Living Alone Allowance increases by €3 to €22 per week
• Increase for a Qualified Child rate of payment for children aged 12 and over increases by €3 to €48 in all weekly payments
• Increase for a Qualified Child rate of payment for children up to age 12 increases by €2 to €40 in all weekly payments

• Fuel Allowance increases by €5 to €33 per week from 11 October 2021

Fuel Allowance payment on the week commencing 1 November 2021 will reflect Budget 2022 changes and include the following for both weekly and lump sum payments:

• The increase of €5 per week.
• 3 weeks arrears for weekly recipients (€15).
• 12 weeks arrears for lump sum recipients (€60).
• Weekly income threshold for Fuel Allowance will increase by €20 to €120 from 11 October 2021.
• people getting Jobseeker's Allowance and Supplementary Welfare Allowance may qualify for Fuel Allowance after 12 months, down from 15 months (if all other qualifying conditions are met) from September 2022.

• maximum weekly rate of all State Pensions increases by €5 and proportionate increases for people getting a reduced rate
• proportionate increases for Qualified Adult dependants
• Living Alone Allowance increases by €3 to €22 per week for people aged 66 and over who are living alone
• Fuel Allowance increases by €5 to €33 per week from 11 October 2021
• weekly income threshold for Fuel Allowance increases by €20 to €120

• all core weekly payments increase by €5 including One-Parent Family Payment, Jobseeker's Transitional Payment, Maternity Benefit, Paternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit and Parent's Benefit from January 2022
• Increase for a Qualified Child rate of payment for children aged 12 and over increases by €3 to €48 in all weekly payments
• Increase for a Qualified Child rate of payment for children up to age 12 increases by €2 to €40 in all weekly payments
• Hot School Meals Programme extended from January 2022, bringing the total number of students benefiting to 55,650
• Parent’s Benefit - An extra 2 weeks payment for anyone who has a child under 2 years of age. The additional two weeks leave and benefit to be taken, as is the case for the existing five weeks, during the first two years of a child’s life, or in the case of adoption, within two years of the placement of the child with family from July 2022
• Parent's Benefit rate of payment increases by €5 to €250 per week from January 2022
• weekly income threshold for the Working Family Payment increases by €10 regardless of family size
• Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance increases by €10 for each qualifying child from July 2022
• the maximum income threshold to qualify for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance for single parent households will be increased to equal that of two parent households

• the maximum weekly rate of Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Illness Benefit, Disability Allowance, Blind Pension and Invalidity Pension increases by €5 with proportionate increases for people getting a reduced rate
• proportionate increases for Qualified Adult dependants
• Increase for a Qualified Child rate of payment for children aged 12 and over increases by €3 to €48 in all weekly payments
• Increase for a Qualified Child rate of payment for children up to age 12 increases by €2 to €40 in all weekly payments
• Fuel Allowance increases by €5 to €33 per week from 11 October 2021
• Living Alone Allowance increases by €3 to €22 per week for people with disabilities who are living alone
• wage subsidy paid to employers who employ people with a disability increases by €1 to €6.30 per hour from January 2022
• earnings limit on Disability Allowance will increase from €350 to €375
• change in means rate bracket to benefit people getting a reduced payment rate of Disability Allowance
• EmployAbility Service will provide grants directly to people with disabilities in employment
• Domiciliary Care Allowance will be paid for up to 6 months for children who go into hospital (currently 3 months)
• Carer's Allowance will also continue to be paid for 6 months in respect of children who go into hospital
• Carer’s Allowance disregard when assessing capital/savings increases to €50,000 from June 2022 (currently €20,000)
• Carer's Allowance weekly income disregard increases to €350 for single carers and to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner

• weekly income threshold for the Working Family Payment increases by €10 regardless of family size
• Parent's Benefit - An extra 2 weeks payment for anyone who has a child under 2 years of age. The additional two weeks leave and benefit to be taken, as is the case for the existing five weeks, during the first two years of a child’s life, or in the case of adoption, within two years of the placement of the child with family from July 2022
• Treatment Benefit PRSI paid contributions minimum requirement reduces from 5 years (260 weeks) to 9 months (39 weeks) for people aged between 25 and 28, effective from June 2022
• Treatment Benefit - People who have conditions such as alopecia, or people undergoing chemotherapy can get a €500 grant to assist with costs of wigs/hairpieces
• Back to Work Enterprise Allowance and employment programmes including Work Placement Experience Programme, Community Employment, Tús and Rural Social Scheme increase by €5 per week with proportionate increases for Qualified Adult and Child dependants
• Maternity Benefit, Paternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit and Parent's Benefit increases by €5 from January 2022
• Farm Assist - Certain Agri-environmental schemes to be exempt up to €2,450 annual limit, and assessed at 50% thereafter - October 2022.

• the maximum weekly rate of Jobseeker's Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance increases by €5 from January 2022 with proportionate increases for people getting a reduced rate
• The maximum weekly rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance for jobseekers aged 24 and under increases by €5 from January 2022
• proportionate increases for Qualified Adult dependants
• Increase for a Qualified Child rate of payment for children aged 12 and over increases by €3 to €48 in all weekly payments
• Increase for a Qualified Child rate of payment for children up to age 12 increases by €2 to €40 in all weekly payments
• Fuel Allowance increases by €5 to €33 per week from 11 October 2021
• weekly income threshold for Fuel Allowance increases by €20 to €120
• people getting Jobseeker's Allowance and Supplementary Welfare Allowance may qualify for Fuel Allowance after 12 months, down from 15 months (if all other qualifying conditions are met)

People getting the following social welfare payments on a long-term basis will get the Christmas Bonus in December 2021: