Independent Alliance and Fianna Fáil push for budget benefits in January

Both the Independent Alliance and Fianna Fáil are pressing the Government to introduce an all-inclusive social welfare benefits package at the beginning of next year as opposed to later in 2017.

Disabilities Minister Finian McGrath said yesterday that he and the alliance were pushing for January for the welfare package, which includes increases in the pension and payments for the disabled, carers and widows among others.

Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar though says increases across the board from January would cost €350m, an amount his department does not have. Instead, he suggests the combined welfare-linked increases could be brought in at a cheaper cost later in the year, possibly as late as June.