Written answers
Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Budget 2025
Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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136. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if they will outline the once-off additional payments announced under Budget 2025; if the Department has made available any such additional payment to persons who have transferred from invalidity pension to the contributory pension on the basis of their health having not improved arising from the transfer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6573/25]
Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Social Protection package of €2.6 billion announced under Budget 2025 was the largest in the history of the State and was designed to assist recipients of Social Protection payments through a mix of cost of living bonus payments and increases to weekly payment rates.
The once-off bonus payments that were announced as part of Budget 2025 are as follows:
| Budget 2025 Measure | Number of Recipients |
|---|---|
| October Cost of Living Double Payment | 1.4 million recipients |
| November Double Child Benefit Payment | 678,000 families in respect of over 1.2 million children |
| €400 Cost of Living Payment to those in receipt of Working Family Payment | 46,000 families |
| Fuel Allowance Lump Sum of €300 | 387,000 households |
| €400 Lump Sum Payment to recipients of Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension* | 213,000 recipients |
| €200 payment to people in receipt of Living Alone Allowance | 254,000 recipients |
| €400 Lump Sum Payment to recipients of the Carer's Support Grant* (incl. Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and Domiciliary Care Allowance) | 145,000 carers |
| Once-off payment of €100 for each child in respect of whom a Child Support Payment (formerly Increase for a Qualified Child) is in payment | 340,000 children |
| Christmas Bonus Double Payment | 1.4 million recipients |
| December Double Child Benefit Payment | 678,000 families in respect of over 1.2 million children |
As Invalidity Pension is a weekly payment to people who cannot work due to a long-term illness or disability and who are covered by Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI), recipients automatically transfer to the State Pension (Contributory) at the full rate of that payment when they reach age 66.
Budget 2025 provided an increase in all weekly pension rates by €12.00 per week from January 2025, increasing the maximum personal rates of the State Pension (Contributory) and Invalidity Pension to €289.30 and €249.50, respectively.
A person transferring from Invalidity Pension to State Pension (Contributory) will thus receive an increase of almost €40 in their payment every week from then on.
Furthermore, State Pension (Contributory) recipients were eligible for and received both the October and Christmas cost of living bonus payments announced as part of Budget 2025.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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