Jobseekers and pensioners to get €5 weekly increase

Young jobseekers and pensioners are among those who will receive an extra €5 each week under a €558m social welfare package

Young jobseekers and pensioners are among those who will receive an extra €5 each week under a €558m social welfare package.

Jobseekers and pensioners are among those who will receive an extra €5 each week under a €558m social welfare package.

In his budget speech, Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath said that as we emerge from the pandemic the priority has to be "quality of life, our health, our home, our environment, and the things we perhaps at times took for granted, but have now come to value even more."

To support a more equal society, a range of welfare increases and a broadening of thresholds has been announced.

This includes a €3 increase on the Living Alone Allowance "to ensure the wellbeing of many thousands of our older citizens". This will bring the payment up to €22 a week.

To directly address the rising cost of energy, the weekly rate of the Fuel Allowance will increase by €5 from midnight, at a cost of €55.8m.

The income threshold for qualification for the Fuel Allowance has been increased by €20 and those on Jobseekers Allowance and Supplementary Welfare Allowance will get the support after 12 months, down from the current 15 months.

Parents Benefit is to be extended by two weeks bringing the support up to seven weeks from July of next year.

The Qualified Child Increase will also go up by €3 for children aged 12 and over, and by €2 a week for children under 12.

The Back to School Clothing and Footwear allowance will increase by €10 and the income thresholds for the support will be equalised meaning the same income levels will apply to both one parent and two parent families.

The Government has confirmed that the Christmas bonus will be paid in full this year.

Outlining the measures, Mr McGrath said people have "developed a new appreciation of what we value in life; family and friends, community, nature, and the rich diversity our beautiful country has to offer".