By Beat News with additional reporting from Breaking News.
Parents will receive a double child benefit today, to the value of €280 euro.
The measure was announced in September’s budget, as part of a 2.2 billion euro social welfare package.
Parents of children under 18 will receive €280 today, double the usual monthly rate of €140.
The increase is part of a series of social protection supports that were announced in Budget 2023.
Meanwhile the fuel allowance lump sum of €400 will be issued on November 14th, along with the lump sum Living Alone Allowance worth €200.
Social welfare rates and State Pensions will also rise by €12 to €265 and €220 per week, respectively.
The double child benefit payment will cost the state a total of €170 million.
Meanwhile, the first of three €200 energy credits will also appear on householders’ bills from this week.
Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys has said: “I’m very pleased to announce that 638,000 families will receive a double child benefit payment this week to support them with the cost of living.
“This means that 280 euro will be paid in respect of 1.2 million children across the State.
“Child benefit is an extremely important income support that reaches hundreds of thousands of hardworking families.
“As Minister, I’m deeply conscious of the difficulties families are facing right now in meeting their bills.
“This double payment is one of eight-lump sum payments that I secured as part of the Budget to help households during this extremely challenging period.”
Ms Humphreys added: “The double child benefit payment will be received in people’s bank accounts beginning from today.
“It follows the autumn double payment last month, which supported 1.4 million pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and working families.
“And over the course of the next few weeks, I will be announcing the details of further lump sum payments to support people with their household bills.”
These will include the €400 lump sum fuel allowance payment, the €200 payment for people living alone, the €500 payment for carers, the €500 support for people with disabilities and the €500 payment for those in receipt of the Working Family Payment.
“These will be followed by the payment of the Christmas Bonus in December,” the Fine Gael minister added.
“This €1.2 billion package of lump sum payments is about helping families and our most vulnerable with the rising costs they are facing over the winter period.”
The child benefit payment is made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years.
The lump-sum payments were announced as part of last month’s social protection budget.
