Minister Humphreys publishes Social Welfare Bill 2022

Bill will give effect to wide range of Budget measures
€12 increase in weekly payments – largest increase in decades
€40 per week increase in Working Family Payment thresholds
€20.50 increase in the monthly rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance
doubling of agri-environmental income disregarded in means test for Farm Assist
increases to Child Dependent Payments
extension of eligibility for participation on Community Employment Schemes
Ex-Gratia Payment for CE Supervisors
increase in earnings attracting the lower Employer PRSI rate in line with increase in the national minimum wage

The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, has today announced the publication of the Social Welfare Bill 2022, which will enact a wide range of measures set out in Budget 2023.

The Social Welfare Budget package is the largest in the history of the State and provides for a range of supports for pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and low income families.

The bill, which will commence its passage through Dáil Eireann this week, introduces over €1 billion in Social Welfare improvements in 2023.

The main provisions in the Bill apply across-the-board increases in weekly payments to pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and lone parents. The Bill also includes measures to expand the Working Family Payment to more households and changes to the Means Test for the Farm Assist Payment.

Among the measures included in the Bill are:

€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
extend 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

These measures are on top of the eight lump payments that Minister Humphreys secured as part of Budget 2023, to assist families with the Cost of Living.

These payments include the Autumn Cost of Living Payment, a double payment of Child Benefit, an additional €400 for Fuel Allowance recipients, an additional €200 for recipients of the Living Alone Allowance, an additional €500 for Working Family Payment recipients, a €500 Lump Sum Disability Payment and a special €500 Carer’s Support Grant which will issue to over 114,000 Carers on this week.

The total cost of these measures comes to €1.2 billion.

Publishing the Social Welfare Bill 2022, Minister Humphreys said:

“The Social Welfare Bill will give effect to a wide range of Budget measures.

“As we head towards 2023, I am putting into effect a €12 increase in weekly rates of payment for pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and other core weekly payments. This represents the largest increases in weekly payments for well over a decade.

“I am expanding the Working Family Payment thresholds so more households will qualify for the payment and I am also making changes to the Farm Assist Means Test to support our farmers.

“I am increasing the Domiciliary Care Allowance by €20.50 bringing it to €330 per month. This is a vital support for parents of children with disabilities and I am pleased to be the first Minister in thirteen years to increase the payment rate.

“Many of the changes in the Social Welfare Bill will take effect in January and are in addition to the unprecedented eight lump sum payments which my department is providing to support people with the Cost of Living.

“Six of these lump sum payments have already been paid out and the seventh, the €500 Carer’s Support Grant will issue this week.

“The changes in the Social Welfare Bill together with the Lump Sum Payments are designed to put more money back in people’s pockets and assist families across the country with the cost of living.”

Minister Humphreys publishes Social Welfare Bill 2022

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