Cost of Living Lump Sum Supports

Minister Humphreys announces payment dates for Budget 2024 Cost of Living Lump Sum Supports

From Department of Social Protection

Published on 17 October 2023

Last updated on 17 October 2023

Nine lump-sum supports will be paid between November and January to help with Cost of Living

Suite of Payments totalling over €1.2 Billion to support families, pensioners, carers and people with disabilities

€400 Disability and Carers Support Grants to be paid next monthLiving Alone and Fuel Allowance lump sums to be paid in November

Over 46,000 Working Families to get €400 lump sum payment next month

€100 Per Child lump sum payments for those receiving an ‘Increase for a Qualified Child’

Double Child Benefit Payment for 1.2 million children in December

Christmas and January Double Payments for over 1.3 million people

All lump sum supports automatically paid – no application required

The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, has today announced the payment dates for the €1.2 billion Cost of Living supports introduced as part of Budget 2024.

The Social Protection package in Budget 2024 is the largest in the history of the State and will assist pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, and families with the Cost of Living through a mix of lump sum supports and increases to weekly payments.

A total of nine lump sum payments will be paid between November 2023 and January 2024.

The Lump-Sum payments announced as part of the Budget include:

On the week commencing November 20th, a €400 lump sum Working Family Payment will be paid to 46,000 families.

During the same week, a €300 Fuel Allowance Lump Sum Payment will be paid to 409,000 households.

Also in the week commencing November 20th, a €400 Disability Support Grant will be paid to people with disabilities.

On the week commencing November 27th, a €400 Carer’s Support Grant will be provided to the country’s carers (a person who qualifies for both the Disability and the Carer’s Support Grant will receive one bonus payment of €400).

During the same week, there will be a €200 lump sum payment to the 237,000 people in receipt of the Living Alone Allowance.

There will also be a €100 cost of living lump sum payment per child for people receiving an Increase for a Qualified Child on their social welfare payment.

A Christmas Bonus Double Payment will be paid in the week commencing December 4th to over 1.3 million people.

A doubling of Child Benefit on December 5th, which will support 650,000 families in respect of 1.2 million children.

A January Double Payment will be paid in the week commencing 29th January 2024, benefitting over 1.3 million people.

Announcing the details today, Minister Humphreys said:

“I know a lot of people are genuinely struggling to make ends meets at the moment. In order to ease the pressure and stress that many households are facing, I am bringing forward this series of nine lump sum payments to support people.

“These payments, totalling over €1.2 Billion, will support our pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and families over the coming months. The payment schedule I am announcing today is designed to give people certainty and some peace of mind so they know exactly when these supports will be made to them.

“Budget 2024 represents the largest social protection budget package in the history of the State. The mix of lump-sum payments to support people over the winter months, together with the increases in weekly rates and range of targeted measures is designed to help people through the current cost of living challenges we are facing.”

The payment dates and the number of recipients for each of the Lump Sum Supports are outlined below:

In addition to the series of lump-sum payments, Minister Humphreys also secured across-the-board welfare increases of €12 per week from January 2024, and a range of targeted measures to take effect throughout 2024.

These full list of Budget 2024 Social Protection measures is available at www.Gov.ie/DSPBudget24.