Electricity credits; double child benefit: Here are the cost-of-living measures from Budget 2025
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Two €125 electricity credits, two double child benefit payments, and multiple bonus social welfare splurges are all part of the Government’s €2.2bn cost-of-living package.
Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said that while inflation has moderated, prices have been slow to come down and that many people have been left “worrying about their finances”.
On the electricity credits, Mr Donohoe confirmed that they would be paid out to all households in two separate occasions. One will be given out before the end of 2024, while the second will come in early 2025.
There will also be a number of double payments made over the months ahead.
• This includes a double payment in October for people accessing long-term social welfare payments such as the State pension and jobseekers allowance.
• There will also be the traditional Christmas bonus social welfare payment.
• Mr Donohoe also confirmed plans for two double child benefit payments, one in November and another in December. This will give parents at least €280 per child, in each of the double payment months.
• A double foster carer allowance payment has also been confirmed by Mr Donohoe.
There’s also due to be a number of once-off lump sum payments made.
• They include a €300 payment for anyone receiving the fuel allowance next month.
This comes amid plans to expand access to the fuel allowance, by lowering the qualifying age to 66 from 70. Recipients can have a means of €512 per week, or €1,024 as a couple.
• Anyone availing of the living alone allowance will get a once-off €200.
• A €400 payment will also be provided to individuals accessing the carer’s support grant, disability allowance, blind pension, invalidity pension, and domiciliary care allowance in November.
• This Budget also provides a lump sum payment of €100 per child to recipients of Qualified Child Increase payments.
• There will also be a €400 working family payment lump sum.
Mr Donohoe also confirmed that student fees would continue to be cut by €1,000, leaving it at €2,000 for a further year.
Apprentices are also seeing a one-off cut, dropping the cost of contribution fees by a third, while postgraduates will have their grants increased by €1,000.
Fee reductions for school transport are also being kept in place for the year, as well as the waiver for students taking part in State exams.