Payment increases to benefit Waterford's 'most in need'
A Waterford general election candidate has welcomed the coming into effect of a number of targeted payment increases and improvements introduced in Budget 2020.
Budget 2020 included €171.2 million in additional social welfare expenditure, bringing the total social welfare spend to €21.2 billion for the year.
The payment increases and changes include:
- €5 increase in the Living Alone Allowance, from €9 to €14 per week, paid to pensioners and people with disabilities who are living alone. Over 200,000 to benefit.
- Weekly Fuel Allowance increase by €2 to €24.50 per week. Over 370,000 households to benefit.
- €3 increase for qualified child dependants aged 12 and over in all weekly payments.
- €2 increase for qualified child dependants up to age 12 in all weekly payments.
- Working Family Payment thresholds increase by €10 per week for families with one, two or three children. Some 55,000 families are expected to benefit at a cost of €19 million.
- Earnings disregard for working lone parents receiving One-Parent Family Payment or Jobseeker’s Transition Payment increase by €15 to €165 per week. 16,900 families to benefit.
- Jobseekers aged 25 years to receive full rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance.
- Jobseekers under age 25 if living independently and in receipt of State supports (e.g. Rent Supplement, RAS, HAP) to receive the full rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance.
- The number of hours that carers can work or study outside the home has increased from 15 to 18 ½ per week.
- Additionally, the national minimum wage is set to increase to €10.10 from February 1.
Fine Gael's Cllr John Cummins
"Budget 2020 was about ensuring that we used the resources available to effect the best possible changes for society. I hope these changes will improve the position of as many families and vulnerable people as possible.”