There were some large increases in the cost of living in 2022 and the Irish government introduced some financial help aimed at families and those on fixed incomes like pensioners and people on social welfare including carers and people with disabilities.
Cost of Living Payments in 2023
- A €200 one-off “bonus” payment was made during April 2023 to all long-term social welfare recipients. It was paid to primary recipients of the payments who received the Christmas Bonus.
The bonus was paid during the week beginning April 24th 2023 to over 1.3 million recipients and cost approximately €261 million.
- 158,000 people with disabilities received the €200 payment on Wednesday 26th April
- 53,500 Carers and almost 40,000 households in receipt of Working Family Payment got the €200 lump sum payment on Thursday 27th April
- almost 611,000 pensioners received their €200 payment on Friday 28th April.
- A lump sum child benefit payment of €100 per child was paid in June 2023
- There was another one-off increase of €100 per child in the 2023 Back to School Allowance.
Will there be Another Cost of Living Payment in 2023 ?
There is a possibility that further cost of living payments could be announced in Budget 2024 on Oct 10th.
See our page on Budget 2024 Ireland .
One-Off Cost of Living Payments made in 2022
There was a double weekly payment of most weekly social welfare benefits and state pensions in October 2022. This was called the “Autumn Cost of Living Double Payment”. This double week payment was made in the week beginning October 17th 2022 .
Double payment of the children’s allowance was made on November 1st 2022
All fuel allowance claimants got a one-off lump sum of €400 on 14th November 2022.
Living Alone Allowance claimants got a one-off lump sum of €200 on November 14th 2022.
Working Family Payment claimants got a €500 lump sum on November 14th 2022.
A lump sum of €500 for those on disability allowances, invalidity pension and blind pension was paid on November 14th 2022.
A lump sum of €500 for those on the carers’ support grant was paid on November 21st 2022.
A double monthly Student Grant payment was paid on 16th December 2022
There was also a credit of €600 on all household electricity bills. It was paid in three separate credits of €200 each for November , January 2023 and March 2023. More details about Electricity Credits .