Budget Q
. An increase of €14 per week special increase for lower payments, with the new rates bringing the weekly figure up to €163. Child benefit increased by €10 for the first two children and €12 for the third and subsequent children.
There was also a €39 per week increase in FIS Thresholds while Capital Assessment was eased so as to allow the first €20,000 to be disregarded. In a move welcomed by many, those on the minimum wage of €273 a week will be removed from the tax net, although with that set to rise next year, some groups were unsure whether people eliminated from the tax net could find themselves back in the loop.
