Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Question Nos. 8, 29, 46 and 89 together as they all relate to the same thing. Child benefit is a universal monthly payment made to families with children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children who are in full-time education until their 18th birthday, whether that is post-primary, post leaving certificate or third level. Payment up to age 18 years is also made in respect of children who have a disability. Estimated expenditure on the scheme will be approximately €2.1 billion in 2022.

In budget 2023 I secured a significant social welfare package of over €2.1 billion. As part of that, one of my priorities was to provide support for families and children. People who are in receipt of child benefit will receive a cost-of-living double payment on 1 November 2022 and that will be made to approximately 638,000 families in respect of over 1.2 million children at an estimated cost of €170.4 million.

Although the current arrangements for extending child benefit to the age of 18 were primarily intended to cover situations where a child is in full-time post-primary education, they are not limited in this way but are available for children aged up to 18 in full-time education, including those in third level education. The suggestion to extend the age limit, but in so doing exclude those in further or higher education from what is generally a universal payment, may therefore presents difficulties. In addition, the cost consequences of any such extension would need to be considered.

Separately, I emphasise that for those on social welfare payments, an increase for a qualified child will be paid up to the age of 22 or up to the end of the academic year in which he or she reaches 22. This approach ensures targeted assistance that is directly linked to household income and thereby supports low-income families with older children participating in full-time education.

Families on low incomes may be able to avail of a number of social welfare schemes that support children in full-time education until the age of 22, including the increase for a qualified child, primary social welfare payments, the working family payment for low-paid employees with children, and the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance. These schemes provide targeted assistance that is directly linked to household income and thereby support low-income families with older children participating in full-time education. In addition, there are budget measures specifically for families with children, such as the double child benefit payment and the €500 lump sum payment to recipients of the working family payment. Low-income families will also benefit from other budget measures, such as the €12 increase in the weekly personal rate for recipients of the working age payment.

In July, the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance was increased by €100 for each eligible child under the scheme. This year, the amount paid for each qualified child aged four to 11 years is €260. The rate payable for each eligible child aged 12 and over is €385. Approximately 151,000 families, with more than 262,000 children, have benefited from this measure. Budget 2023 also provides a €40 weekly increase in the working family payment income limits for families of all sizes from January, at a cost of approximately €16.8 million in 2023. I have also provided for a €500 lump sum payment to all families in receipt of the payment in November 2022, at an estimated cost of €23 million. I have provided for a €2 increase in the qualified child payment to €42 per week for children aged under 12 and by €2 to €50 per week for children over 12. These increases will take effect from January at an estimated cost of €30.4 million.

Child benefit delivers a standard rate of €140 a month for each child in a family. Similarly, the targeted payments mentioned above are paid in respect of each qualifying child. The income limit associated with the working family payment increases with increasing family size. In the case of twins, child benefit is paid at 1.5 times the normal monthly rate for each child. For triplets and other multiple births, child benefit is paid at double the normal monthly rate for each child.

There are many supports in the budget for families and children, including the double payment of child benefit in November; the autumn cost-of-living double payment paid to recipients of a range of schemes in October, including one-parent family payment and jobseeker's transitional payment recipients; the Christmas bonus double payment to recipients of a range of schemes, including the one-parent family payment; the €500 cost-of-living lump sum payment to all families in receipt of the working family payment; and a €400 lump sum payment to all fuel allowance recipients. There is much in this, which is not to mention what the Minister, Deputy Harris, announced in his package.

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