An estimated 16,000 lone parents will benefit from the law change, which will disregard child maintenance fees from social welfare means tests
Those in receipt of the One-Parent Family welfare payment are set to see an increase in the coming weeks.
Until now, the amount that families in receipt of the One-Parent Family payment was determined by a social welfare means test.From Wednesday the 1st of May, that means test will no longer take into consideration any child maintenance fees the parent receives. Meaning thousands of parents who previously didn’t qualify for the payment may now be included, and those who were receiving the payment will see their benefit increase.
The legislation was recently enacted after Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys brought the proposed changes to government last August. “Under the reforms, Child Maintenance payments will be excluded from the Social Welfare means test for the first time.
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