Budget 2024

Larbre34

As with every annual budget, the divil is in the detail. But I think we can consider it a positive budget overall, mindful of the heavy costs on business and working families along with the more invisible workers in our society.

Also it is very much aimed as easing specific additional burdens, so ideally it won't add inordinately to inflation in the process.

zell12

..

Cherry Blossom

That’s to do with the grant for employers zell. No benefit in that for me.

GerryCarry

Is there a January double payment for people on jobseeker allowance?

hawthorne

Is there a double payment for people on IB? Every single budget the same problem: You have to ask to find out who EXACTLY benefits!

SourSessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121219899#Comment_121219899

It seems like everyone is getting the January bonus. Christmas bonus is usually for long-term payments. We won't know until they release the official guidelines I guess.

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121219899#Comment_121219899

The Department of Social Protection budget allocation is €25.2 billion in 2024.

Once-off payments in winter 2023

• Once-off payment of €300 to people getting Fuel Allowance (November 2023)
• Once-off payment of €400 to people getting the Working Family Payment(November 2023)
• Double payment of Child Benefit for each child (December 2023)
• Once-off payment of €100 to people who get an increase for a qualified child (one payment per qualified child)
• Once-off payment of €200 to people getting the Living Alone Increase
• Once-off payment of €400 to people getting Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension, Carer’s Support Grant and Domiciliary Care Allowance in November 2023, (you will get one payment only, even if you qualify for more than one of these payments or you are caring for more than one person).

Christmas Bonus

A Christmas Bonus of 100% will be paid in early December 2023 to people getting a qualifying social welfare payment.

Social welfare weekly payments

The maximum rate of all weekly social welfare payments will increase by €12 with proportional increases for qualified adults and people on reduced rates of payment (January 2024).

The weekly rate for a qualified child will increase by €4. It will increase from €42 to €46, for children under 12 years of age. It will increase from €50 to €54 for children aged 12 years and over (January 2024).

A once-off double week for all weekly qualifying social welfare payments will be paid in January 2024.

Child Benefit

A once-off double payment of Child Benefit will be paid in December 2023.

Child Benefit will be extended to children aged 18 who are in full-time education from September 2024.

Working Family Payment

The Working Family Payment income limits will increase by €54 across all family sizes from January 2024. A once-off payment of €400 will be paid to people getting the Working Family Payment in November 2023.

Parent’s Benefit

Parent's Benefit will increase from 7 weeks to 9 weeks from August 2024.

Carer’s Allowance

The Carer's Allowance income disregard will increase to €450 for a single person and €900 for a couple from June 2024.

Domiciliary Care Allowance

Domiciliary Care Allowance will increase by €10 from January 2024.

Employment programmes

People on Community Employment (CE), Tús, Rural Social Scheme or the Work Placement Experience Programme will get an increase of €12 per week from January 2024.

Free Travel Scheme

From July 2024, the Free Travel Scheme will be extended to people who are medically certified unfit to drive.

Employer and employee PRSI rates

All PRSI contribution rates will increase by 0.1% from 1 October 2024.

New Pay-Related Benefit Scheme

The Government has proposed a new Pay-Related Benefit Scheme for jobseekers which is expected to be introduced in December 2024. Under the scheme, a person will get a jobseeker’s payment rate linked to their previous employment income.

Social welfare rates

You can see a full list of social welfare rates for Budget 2024 below.

Help with energy costs

All domestic electricity customers will get €450 off their electricity bills. The energy credit will be paid in 3 instalments of €150. The first payment will be made in December 2023, the second will be made in January 2024 and the third will be made in March 2024.

A €300 once-off lump sum will be paid to people getting Fuel Allowance in November 2023. See ‘Social welfare’ above.

The reduced 9% VAT rate for gas and electricity will be extended for 12 months to 31 October 2024.

The temporary excise rate reductions on auto diesel, petrol and marked gas oil due to expire on 31 October 2023 will be extended until 31 March 2024.

hawthorne

....."a qualifying social welfare payment"....which are?

I - and many others- asked the same question last year- and the year before. It took them some time to come up with a list of payments who qualified for the bonus! It was even on the radio. They create the same uncertainty every time.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121220561#Comment_121220561

Qualifying for Christmas Bonus & the additional payment last January.

If I recall it used to be the case those on a Jobseekers payment less than 12 months didn't qualify

People on Illness benefit didn't qualify regardless of time on it.

But last year those on Jobseekers Payment regardless of time on it Qualified for the Christmas Bonus and those on illness benefit more than 12 months also qualified (open to correction if 12 months correct) ,Both got the additional double payment in January

I'm assuming this will be the case thus year

SourSessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121219981#Comment_121219981

Looks like both will be for long-term social welfare recipients.

SourSessions

The first three payments will all be paid out on Monday, November 20th. These are:

• The once-off €400 Working Family Payment
• The €400 Disability Support Grant
• The once-off €300 Lump Sum Fuel Allowance

The following week, a further three supports will be paid:

• The €400 Carer’s Support Grant
• A €200 support for people on the Living Alone Allowance
• A once-off €100 Qualified Child Benefit

In the week beginning December 4th, the Christmas Bonus will be paid.

The three electricity credits will be applied automatically to the customer’s bills on December 1st, January 1st, 2024, and March 1st, 2024.

x

Dempo1

I was just curious, when where seperate allowances/Benefits, such as living alone, Household Benefit etc increased 🤔

SourSessions

Household Benefits hasn't changed in many years. Somewhere around 10 years ago, from memory, the telephone allowance of €20 a month was put down to I think €9 and then was scrapped completely and the electricity allowance changed from 400/300 units per billing cycle to just over a euro a day. Telephone allowance put back to €2.50pw in 2018 but dependant on receiving both fuel and living alone allowance.

Fuel Allowance: the number of weeks reduced from 32 to 26 in 2012 then it increased by €2.5 in 2016 (the first increase since 2009) to €22.50 and in 2017 extended to 27 weeks. 28 weeks in 2019. 2020 went up to €24.50, €28 in 2021, €33 in 2022. €400 bonus in Q4 2022. €300 bonus in Q4 2023.

Living Alone Increase: 2015 increased to €9 (first increase in 10+ years), €14 in 2020, €19 in 2021, €22 in 2022, €200 bonus in Q4 2022 and €200 in Q4 2023

zell12

2005

Telephone allowance €296pa

Fuel allowance €9pw

Smokeless Fuel allowance €3.90pw

Electricity/Gas allowance was normal standing charge + 1800 units pa OR 15 gas cylinders

The telephone allowance was €113pa in 2013, abolished in Budget 2014, brought back in 2018 at €130pa

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121258467#Comment_121258467

Thanks 👌