Unlike many other social welfare benefits in Ireland, child benefit is not a taxable social welfare payment, and is granted for households with child dependants under the age of 16.
A monthly payment, the Child Benefit is paid to parents and guardians on a graded scale, depending on the number of children under the age of 16 living at home full time.
Special allowances can be made to receive the benefit for children under 18 years of age, if they are in full-time education or if they are living with a disability and cannot support themselves independently.
Unlike Jobseeker’s Benefit, which is based on a person’s PRSI payments, Child Benefit is a universal payment, meaning income and PRSI are will not affect the rate of pay.
Child Benefit is €140 a month per each child dependent living in the household.
In the case of twins, parents and guardians can claim one-and-a-half times the normal monthly rate of Child Benefit for each child, whereas for triplets and other multiple births, Child Benefit is paid at double the normal monthly rate for each child, provided at least 3 of the children meet the conditions.
Child Benefit rates in 2021
One child - €140
Two children - €280
Three children - €420
Four children - €560
Five children - €700
Six children - €840
Seven children - €980
Eight children - €1,120
For households with new-born babies, parents must register the baby’s birth within the first three months of birth, and from then, the Department of Social Protection (DSP) will begin a Child Benefit claim for your child.
Parents must also prove that they meet the habitual residence condition of the social welfare payment, and may be asked to provide proof of residence in Ireland, e.g. a bill or a tenancy agreement.
A partially completed claim form will be sent to you from the department in the post, where parents add their details for getting paid.
Where there is already an existing claim, a new born baby is automatically added to the claim, and they will be issued a PPS number.
For children born outside Ireland, but living in Ireland, parents are required to fill out CB1 form and submit it to the Department of Social Protection.
