Double child benefit payment and energy credit on the way

A double child benefit payment of €280 is being paid to families from Tuesday of this week, as part of a series of measures to assist households with the cost of living crisis.

They payment will be made for 1.2 million children in the country and will cost €170 million.

This is the first of a number of cost of living measures announced as part of Budget 2023, which are to come into effect from this month.

The first of three €200 electricity credits are also set to appear on people's bills this month.

It is expected that Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys will announce details around the double payment of child benefit on Tuesday.

It is estimated that it will assist around 640,000 families.

A number of financial supports are set to follow including 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.

A ‘Christmas bonus’ is also due to be paid to those in receipt of a long-term social welfare payment early next month.

“Child Benefit is an extremely important income support that reaches hundreds of thousands of hardworking families,” said Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys.

“As minister, I am deeply conscious of the difficulties families are facing right now in meeting their bills," she said.