Social Welfare Bill will help thousands of families and individuals in Longford with increased payments

A bill published today which gives effect to Budget 2023 measures will help thousands of individuals and families in Longford with increased payments according to Fine Gael Senator Micheál Carrigy.

Senator Carrigy said the Social Welfare Bill 2022, which begins its passage through Dáil Eireann this week, introduces over €1billion in Social Welfare improvements in 2023 and gives effect to a wide range of Budget measures.

Senator Carrigy said: “Fine Gael is determined to put money back in people’s pockets and assist them with the rising cost of living.

“When passed, this Bill will deliver the largest Social Protection package in the history of the State. Fine Gael is committed to putting more money in your pocket by cutting tax, increasing pension payments, and raising welfare payments for families, people with disabilities, pensioners and carers.

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“My colleague Minister Heather Humphreys recently delivered the largest social protection Budget in the history of the state, which provides for a range of supports for pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and low income families in Longford.

“The main provisions in this week’s Bill apply across-the-board increases in weekly payments to pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and lone parents.

“The Bill includes measures to expand the Working Family Payment to more households and changes to the Means Test for the Farm Assist Payment.

Among the measures included in the Bill are:

• €12 increase in the maximum rate of all core weekly payments
• Working Family Payment thresholds to increase by €40 per week for all family sizes;
• An increase of €20.50 in the monthly rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance bringing the payment to €330 per month.  This is the first increase since 2009 for people who play a valuable and difficult role in Irish society – parents or guardians who look after a child with a severe disability;
• €2 increase in payments in respect of children of social welfare recipients, bringing the payment to €42 per week for children under 12 and €50 per week for children aged 12 and over;
• Farm Assist, Jobseeker’s Allowance, and State Non-Contributory Pension – a doubling in the amount of income that can be derived from agri-environmental schemes (e.g., Glas, ACRES) and counted in assessing means.   As a result of this measure, €5,000 can be disregarded from January;
• extend eligibility for participation on Community Employment Schemes to spouses, civil partners or cohabitants of Jobseeker’s Allowance recipients;
• Increase in earnings attracting the lower Employer PRSI rate in line with increase in the national minimum wage which should encourage employment especially in the service sector.”
   

These measures are on top of the eight lump payments that Minister Humphreys secured as part of Budget 2023, which amount to €1.2 billion.

These payments include the Autumn Cost of Living Payment, a double payment of Child Benefit, an additional €400 for Fuel Allowance recipients, an additional €200 for recipients of the Living Alone Allowance, an additional €500 for Working Family Payment recipients, a €500 Lump Sum Disability Payment and a special €500 Carer’s Support Grant which will issue to over 114,000 Carers on this week. 

Senator Micheál Carrigy concluded: “We know that it is more expensive to do the weekly shop, fuel your car, pay your bills, and make ends meet. That is why we are determined to put more money back into your pockets and assist families in Longford with the cost of living."

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Minister Humphreys said: “As we head towards 2023, I am putting into effect a €12 increase in weekly rates of payment for pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and other core weekly payments. This represents the largest increases in weekly payments for well over a decade.

“I am expanding the Working Family Payment thresholds so more households will qualify for the payment and I am also making changes to the Farm Assist Means Test to support our farmers.

“I am increasing the Domiciliary Care Allowance by €20.50 bringing it to €330 per month. This is a vital support for parents of children with disabilities and I am pleased to be the first Minister in thirteen years to increase the payment rate.

“Many of the changes in the Social Welfare Bill will take effect in January and are in addition to the unprecedented eight lump sum payments which my Department is providing to support people with the Cost of Living.”