Wicklow Residents Advised Of Dates For Cost Of Living Payments

Wicklow Minister Simon Harris has confirmed dates for when Government is putting money back in people’s pockets through cost of living payments.

Budget 2024 included a record number of lump-sum payments and double payments from the Department of Social Protection to help people with the cost of living starting next month on the week beginning Monday, November 20th.

Minister Harris said: “These payments will be welcome news to so many families across the country and in Wicklow.

“We know times are tough and that’s why this Government is stepping in with 9 vital lump-sum payments from now till Christmas.

“Thousands of hard working Wicklow families are in line to benefit from a billion euro cost of living package which Fine Gael Minister Humphreys, myself and colleagues have fought hard to deliver on.

The payments will be as follows:

The first batch of payments will be paid out on the week of Monday, November 20th, and will include:

·€400 Working Family Payment supporting 46,500 households including 98,000 children.

·€400 Disability Support Grant to be issued to over 214,000 people with disabilities.
This payment was introduced again this year in recognition of the unique challenges that people with disabilities face.

·€300 Fuel Allowance lump sum supporting 409,000 households with the heating of their homes during the winter period.

The second batch of lump sum supports will be issued on the week beginning Monday, November 27th, and will include:

·€400 Carer’s Support Grant paid to approximately 130,000 Carers.
Also in the Budget, the income threshold for Carer’s Allowance was increased to €450 for a single person and €900 for a couple. This is the second time the Carer’s Means Test has been expanded since Fine Gael Minister Humphreys was appointed.

·€200 support for people on the Living Alone Allowance which will benefit 237,000 households.

·€100 Qualified Child Benefit will also be issued. This will be in respect of 370,000 children.

On the week beginning December 4th, two additional cost of living payments are due: 

• a 100 per cent Christmas Bonus supporting 1.33 million pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and other welfare groups.
• and a Double Child Benefit of €280 per child will also be paid out.

The final and 9th lump sum (the January Bonus) will be paid on the week beginning January 29th, 2024, again benefitting the likes of pensioners, carers and people with disabilities.

Overall, the total cost of providing these nine cost of living payments is over €1.2 billion.

Minister Harris concluded: “These cost of living measures are on top of what I have already announced as Minister for Further and Higher Education, to reduce the cost of education for thousands of families in the county.

“Last week, I announced in Budget 2024 a significant number of measures that will reduce the cost of putting a child through college including:

·significant increases in student grants

·cuts to the student contribution fee for undergraduate students by at least €1,000

·increased and extended renters’ tax credit

·and extended public transport fare discounts for young people.”

Recap Table below: 

Cost of Living Payments weeks of payment