Social protection: Cost of living supports

• over €410 million in additional social protection supports
• €200 cost of living payment to long-term social welfare recipients, including those receiving the Working Family Payment (WFP)
• €100 Child Benefit additional lump sum payment per child
• €100 one-off increase in the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
• continued roll out of the Hot School Meals Programme

You can read further information on the cost of living supports announced here.

Additional Needs Payment

Additional Needs Payment is means tested payment available to you if you have essential expenses that you cannot pay from your weekly income.

You may get this payment even if you are not getting a social welfare payment. It may be available to you if you are working and on a low income regardless of the number of hours that you work.

Fuel Allowance

Fuel Allowance, is a payment to help with the cost of heating your home during the winter months. Minister Humphreys also secured a major expansion of the scheme which will see up to 81,000 new households supported with their fuel cost for the first time.

This measure will took effect in January 2023.

Household Benefit package

The Household Benefits package is available to help towards the costs of your electricity or gas bills. It also includes your television licence. Only one HBP is payable per household.

The package is available to everyone over 70. It is not means tested and you do not need to be getting a pension.

If you are between 66 and 70 you may still get the package, if you meet the necessary conditions.

You may also qualify if you are under 66 and get Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension or Carer's Allowance (if you are living with the person you are caring for).

The 2023 social protection budget package included 8 lump-sum payments totalling €1.2 billion as well as weekly rate increases of €12, effective from January 2023.

These measures are designed to assist families and individuals across the State with the cost of living.

The 8 lump sum payments include:

October 2022

• Autumn double payment paid to most people who get a weekly social welfare payment including all pensioners, carers and people on disability payments. This will benefit 1.4 million people

November 2022

• €400 Fuel Allowance lump sum payment, benefitting 370,000 households getting the Fuel Allowance
• €200 lump sum payment to the 234,000 people getting the Living Alone Increase
• €500 lump sum payment to all families getting the Working Family Payment (WFP), benefitting 44,000 households
• double payment of Child Benefit, which will support 639,000 families in respect of 1.2 million children
• €500 lump sum payment for people getting Carer's Support Grant will benefit our carers
• €500 lump sum disability support grant will be paid to all people getting a long term disability payment

December 2022

• Christmas Bonus double payment will be paid to 1.3 million welfare recipients including pensioners, carer’s and people with disabilities