The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, has announced details of a €410 million social welfare package to support families, pensioners, carers and people with disabilities.
The measures announced in addition to the €2.2 billion of supports in Budget 2023, underlines the government’s continued commitment to address the increased cost of living being experienced by people relying on social welfare payments and by working families.
Among the measures are a €200 lump sum payment to be paid in April to people in receipt of long-term social welfare payments. This will be paid to primary recipients of the payments who receive the Christmas Bonus
A €200 payment for Working Family Payment recipients who have not received the lump sum on their primary payment, to be paid in April.
There will be one €200 lump sum paid, even if a person receives more than one qualifying social welfare payment.
People receiving child benefit will receive an additional lump sum of €100 per child in June 2023.
An additional €100 payment for each child for whom the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is to be paid in 2023.
Recognising the importance of the School Meals Programme in providing children with nutritious meals, Minister Humphreys stated her intention to complete the roll out of Hot School Meals to all remaining DEIS primary and special schools this year and plans to seek approval to expand the scheme into non-DEIS primary schools.
The recipients of long-term social welfare payments will receive a €200 lump sum payment in April 2023.
Recipients include those who received the Christmas Bonus in 2022, such as those on jobseeker payments or illness benefits for more than a year, as well as those receiving Working Family Payment. One payment will be made per primary recipient.
Child Benefit, a once-off €100 lump sum for every child for whom it is paid, is due to be paid in June 2023
An additional €100 payment will also be paid in 2023 for each child for whom the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is paid.
For a child aged 4–11 years, the payment will be €260, and for those aged 12–22, it will be €385.