Over 200,000 older people and people with a disability living alone will receive increased payments starting this week

The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D., today announced that a number of targeted payment increases and improvements introduced in Budget 2020 come into effect this week.

Budget 2020 included €171.2 million in additional social welfare expenditure, bringing the total social welfare spend to €21.2 billion for the year.

The payment increases and changes include:

€5 increase in the Living Alone Allowance, from €9 to €14 per week, paid to pensioners and people with disabilities who are living alone – over 200,000 to benefit
Weekly Fuel Allowance to increase by €2 to €24.50 per week – over 370,000 households to benefit
€3 increase for qualified child dependants aged 12 and over in all weekly payments
€2 increase for qualified child dependants up to age 12 in all weekly payments
Working Family Payment thresholds increase by €10 per week for families with 1, 2 or 3 children. Some 55,000 families are expected to benefit, at a cost of €19 million
Earnings disregard for working lone parents receiving One-Parent Family Payment or Jobseeker’s Transition Payment to increase by €15 to €165 per week- 16,900 families to benefit
Jobseekers aged 25 years to receive full rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance
Jobseekers under age 25 if living independently and in receipt of State supports (e.g. Rent Supplement, RAS, HAP) to receive the full rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance
This week, the number of hours that carers can work or study outside the home has increased from 15 to 18 ½ per week
Additionally, the National Minimum Wage is set to increase to €10.10 from 1 February 2020.

Ahead of the increases, Minister Doherty commented:

“The increases - which come into effect this week – were introduced specifically to target those most in need. I was particularly pleased to be able to focus resources towards vulnerable children and older people.

Budget 2020 was about ensuring that we used the resources available to effect the best possible changes for society. I hope these changes will improve the position of as many families and vulnerable people as possible.”

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