A host of Budget 2022 schemes will finally come into force at the start of January with social welfare recipients in for hikes.
It was confirmed this morning that all households will get €100 off their home electricity bills in the first month of 2022 - but that isn't the only boost on the way.
From January 1st, The maximum rate of all weekly social welfare payments will increase by €5 with proportional increases for qualified adults and people on reduced rates of payment.
People aged 25 and under who are getting a reduced rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance will get the full €5 increase.
The weekly rate for a qualified child will increase by €2 from €38 to €40 for children under 12 years of age. It will increase by €3 from €45 to €48 for children aged 12 years and over.
The income threshold for Fuel Allowance will increase by €20 from €100 to €120.
The Living Alone Increase will rise by €3 from €19 to €22.
January will also see the period during which Carer’s Allowance and Domiciliary Care Allowance can be paid for children in hospital will be extended from 3 months to 6 months
While PhD scholarships will be disregarded in the means test for Blind Pension.
The final social welfare change will see the weekly income threshold for the higher rate of employer’s PRSI will increase from €398 to €410 to ensure that there is no incentive to reduce the working hours for a full-time employee on the increased minimum wage.
