Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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127. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be made in relation to an application for disability allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10503/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm that the Department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from the person concerned on 23 January 2023.

The application was referred to a social welfare inspector (SWI) on 24 February 2023 for a report on the person’s means and circumstances. Once the SWI has submitted their report to the DA section, a decision will be made on the DA application and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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128. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will clearly outline the rationale for the stopping of child benefit at the age of 18 years; if she will acknowledge that many children are still in full-time secondary education at this age and that their parents or guardians still rely on the payment to help with costs; if she will further acknowledge that in the current cost-of-living crisis, this presents significant financial difficulties for parents with schoolgoing children of 18 years and above; if there are plans to legislate for an increase in the age at which child benefit will cease; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10523/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years.  The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability.  Child Benefit is currently paid to over 640,000 families in respect of almost 1.2 million children with an estimated expenditure of more than €2.1 billion in 2023. 

There are currently no plans to extend Child Benefit in respect of full-time students who are over 18 years of age and in full time education.  Such an extension would have significant cost implications and would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.

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: 

- Increase for a Qualified Child (IQCs) with 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.

Budget 2023 includes a Social Welfare package of over €2.1 billion and provided for 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.  In addition, all families in receipt of the payment received a €500 lump sum payment in November 2022 at an estimated cost of €23 million.

I also provided for the weekly rates of the Increase for a Qualified Child to increase by €2 to €42 per week in the case of children under age 12 and by €2 to €50 per week in the case of children aged 12 or over.  These increases took effect from January at an estimated cost of €30.4 million in 2023.

The Government recognises the challenges of rising prices and last week announced details of a new cost-of-living measures package worth €1.2 billion.  These measures include a lump sum payment of €200 to families in receipt of the Working Family Payment to be paid in April and a one-off increase of €100 to the Back to School Clothing and Footwear allowance in July.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.