Social welfare recipients in Louth to see payment increases from next week

The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D., today announced that the new increased rate of pensions and weekly social welfare increases introduced in Budget 2019 come into effect next week

The maximum personal rate of pension will increase by €5 per week for pensioners aged 66 and over from the week commencing 25 March - for themselves and dependants.

There will also be a €5 increase for weekly welfare recipients including carers, widows, people with disabilities, lone parents, jobseekers, Maternity and Paternity Benefit recipients, Farm Assist recipients and Community Employment participants.

Qualified adults and people receiving reduced rates of payment will receive proportional increases. 

Next week will also see the increases on weekly payments of €2.20 for dependent children aged under 12, and €5.20 for dependent children aged 12 and over. This will bring the qualified child increases to €34 per week and €37 per week respectively.

Working lone parents who are receiving the One Parent Family Payment and Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment will now be able to earn an extra €20 per week, up to €150, and keep their full payment. 

People receiving the Working Family Payment in receipt of maintenance will benefit from a new disregard of €95 per week in respect of housing costs. 

The weekly Fuel Allowance of €22.50 is being extended by one week this year until 12 April. 

Date from which the increases in weekly social welfare payments take effect are as follows:

March 20:

Jobseeker’s Allowance 
Farm Assist

March 21:

Jobseeker’s Benefit

March 25:

Illness Benefit 
Injury Benefit 
Maternity/Adoptive Benefit
Paternity Benefit 
Health and Safety Benefit 
Supplementary Welfare Allowance

March 27:

Disability Allowance

March 28:

Invalidity Pension 
Deserted Wife's Benefit 
Deserted Wife's Allowance 
One Parent Family Payment (Other than a Widow/er) 
Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment 
Carer's Allowance 
Carer's Benefit 
Family Income Supplement

March 29:

Disablement Pension 
Disablement Gratuity 
Death Benefit Pension (under the OIB scheme) 
State Pension (Contributory) 
Widow/er's (Contributory) Pension 
Guardian’s Payment (Contributory) 
State Pension (Non-Contributory) 
Blind Person's Pension 
Widow/er's (Non-Contributory) Pension 
One-Parent-Family-Payment (in the case of a Widow/er) 
Guardian’s Payment (Non-Contributory)