Budget 2026 cuts income of Ireland's poorest households by over 4%, says report

The report from the Parliamentary Budget Office said: 'Child poverty also rises from 15.3% in 2024, to a forecast 16.1% in 2025 and 15.6% in 2026.'

The poorest households in Ireland will see their income fall 4.4% due to the full winding down of cost-of-living supports in Budget 2026, new analysis has suggested.

The independent parliamentary budget office has said that measures in the Budget will also see the annual income of middle-income households decline by 1.3% on average while rates of poverty for children and the elderly will also increase compared to 2024.