This article details the various social welfare and cost-of-living changes coming into effect in January 2025, impacting both recipients and drivers in Ireland. It outlines increases in weekly payments for maternity, adoptive, paternity, and parent's benefits, as well as other social welfare programs. The article also highlights changes to the Child Support Payment, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and Carer's Support Grant. It also mentions fuel allowance updates and adjustments to employment programs.
January doesn't just mark the start of a new year, it is also the start date for many cost of living changes. From big boosts for thousands of social welfare recipients to certain drivers being hit with increases - nearly everyone will be impacted in some way.
It was decided that the maximum weekly rate of Maternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit, Paternity Benefit and Parent’s Benefit will increase by €15, while all other weekly social welfare payments will increase by €12 with proportional increases for qualified adults and people on reduced rates of payment. The Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) will be renamed the Child Support Payment. The weekly rate will increase by €4 from €46 to €50, for children under 12 years of age. It will increase by €8 from €54 to €62 for children aged 12 years and over. The Domiciliary Care Allowance will go from €340 per month to €360 per month, while the Carer’s Support Grant, which is paid once a year, is now worth €2,000 instead of €1,850. Here are all the payments being increased by €12, with proportional increases for qualified adults and people on reduced rates of payment: While the payments listed below will not be increased at all: Working Family Payment Working Family Payment income limits Fuel Allowance The Fuel Allowance means test disregard for people aged 66 and over will be €524 for a single person and €1,048 for a couple. Carer’s Allowance will become a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance. Employment programmes People on Community Employment (CE), Tús and the Rural Social Scheme will get an increase of €12 per week. People on the Work Placement Experience Programme will get an increase of €24 per wee
Social Welfare Cost Of Living Ireland January 2025 Changes