Social Welfare Increases in Budget 2019

Welfare and Pension Increases in Budget 2019 (October 2018)

For information about the October 2019 Budget  see Budget 2020 Details


Social Welfare Benefits :

All weekly rates of working age benefits are also due to increase by €5 a week in the week beginning  25th March 2019 .
Jobseekeers Allowance was increased on 20th March and Jobseekers Benefit on 21st March.

Increases will apply to : –  Jobseekers, Farm Assist, One Parent Family Payment,
Carers Allowance , Disability, Invalidity, Maternity , Supplementary Welfare.
Maternity/Paternity/Adoptive Benefit, Illness Benefit, Blind Pension
, Carer’s Benefit, Carer’s Allowance, Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, One-Parent Family Payment, Jobseeker’s Benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Farm Assist.
This also includes increases in employment programmes such as, Back to Education Allowance, CE, TÚS and Rural Social Scheme.

The top rate of Jobseekers Benefit will now be €203 a week and Supplementary Welfare will be €201 a week

The €5 increase also applies to Jobseekers aged under 26 who are on a reduced rate of payment.

There will be proportionate increases for people on reduced rate payments and for qualified adult dependants .
(For example  : a State Pension adult dependant payment is currently  €153.30 which is two thirds of the personal rate  of €232 .  The increase on this will be two thirds of €5 which is €3.30 – making the new amount €156.60)

There will also be €2.20 increase for each qualified child dependant aged under 12 on all weekly payments – from week beginning 25th March 2019.

There will also be €5.20 increase for each qualified child dependant aged 12 and over  in all weekly payments – from week beginning 25th March 2019.

(No changes to Child Benefit or Carers Support Grant)


State Pensions will be increased by €5 a week from 29th March 2019. There will be proportional increases for dependant adults and those on reduced rates.
The top rate of  contributory state pension (over 80 ) will now be €258.30 a week. Under 80’s will get a top rate of €248.30
The maximum non contributory pension (over 80) will be €247 a week. (€237 for under 80).


Other Changes to Welfare announced in Budget 2019

Welfare Christmas Bonus :  Was paid at 100%  for Christmas 2018  – more details here

Fuel allowance: the  payment period was extended from 27 weeks to 28 weeks – More Here on Fuel Allowance

Prescription charges for over 70s was reduced to €1.50 an item (from €2)    (From Jan 1st 2019)

Drugs Payment Scheme– monthly threshold will be reduced from €134 to €124 (From April 1st 2019)

Daily Expenses Allowance (formerly Direct Provision Allowance) will increase by €17.20 to €38.80 per week for adults and by €8.20 to €29.80 per week for each child, from 25th March 2019.

Earnings disregard for working lone parents receiving One Parent Family Payment or Jobseeker’s Transition Payment to increase by €20 to €150 per week  – 25th March

Working Family Payment recipients to benefit from a new maintenance disregard of €95 per week in respect of housing costs, with the remainder to be assessed at 50% . 25th March

Housing Assistance Payment –  an extra €150 million to be allocated.

€25 increase in the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance for each qualifying child

Self employed to become eligible for Jobseeker’s Benefit to be introduced in Quarter 4, 2019.