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Cost of living: Five groups excluded from social welfare increase within weeks

by · RSVP Live

A number of changes as announced in Budget 2025 are set to come into effect within weeks.

January will see measures come into effect after been announced back on the 1st of October this year.

One such measure is the increase in social welfare rates.

Read more:Social welfare recipients can qualify for payment worth over €400 a week

Read more:Thousands left without wages and pensions after PTSB error

There will be a weekly rise for many payments, which will be welcomed by many given the ongoing cost of living crisis. However, some groups will be excluded from receiving any increase.

There will be no change to the Back To School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, Child Benefit, Fuel Allowance, Living Alone Increase or Island Increase.

Here's everything you need to know about the payments that will be increased.

The maximum weekly rate of Maternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit, Paternity Benefit and Parent’s Benefit will increase by €15.

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.

All other weekly social welfare payments will increase by €12 with proportional increases for qualified adults and people on reduced rates of payment.

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The full list of payments that will be increased are:

  • State Pension (Contributory)
  • State Pension (Non-Contributory)
  • Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension
  • Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension
  • Jobseeker's Benefit
  • Jobseeker's Allowance
  • One-parent Family Payment
  • Health and Safety Benefit
  • Farm Assist
  • Deserted Wife's Benefit
  • Deserted Wife's Allowance
  • Supplementary Welfare Allowance
  • Illness Benefit
  • Invalidity Pension
  • Disability Allowance
  • Blind Pension
  • Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme
  • Carer's Benefit
  • Carer's Allowance
  • Guardian’s payment
  • Child Support Payment

There will also be a monthly increase of €20 to the Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the annual Carer's Support Grant will rise by €150. The Working Family Payment income limits will increase by €60 a week for all family sizes, while next July the Carer's Allowance income disregard will increase to €625 for a single person and €1,250 for a couple. Carer’s Allowance will also become a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance.

The increases come after millions received cost of living bonuses and double weeks in recent months, also as part of Budget 2025's cost of living package.