CORE SOCIAL WELFARE payments, including the State pension, will see a €10 weekly increase from next year.

The increase is provided for in Budget 2027, announced in the Dáil this afternoon by Finance Minister Simon Harris and Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers.

These core welfare payments include the State Pension, Disability Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, One-Parent Family Payment and Jobseeker’s Allowance. The €10 increase is in line with last year’s increase.

The weekly increase will see the maximum payments increase as follows:

• State Pension (Contributory) – increasing to €309.30 per week from €299.30
• State Pension (Non-contributory) – increasing to €298 per week from €288
• Disability Allowance – increasing to €264 per week from €254
• Carer’s Allowance – increasing to €472 per week from €462, for people aged 66 or over caring for two or more people
• One-Parent Family Payment – increasing to €264 per week from €254 
• Jobseekers’ Allowance and Benefit – both increasing to €264 per week from €254 
• Living Alone Allowance – increasing to €25 per week from €22

All payments listed above are the maximum weekly rates available for each payment. You should check your own personal circumstances.

There is no increase to the universal €140 monthly child benefit payment, but there is an additional €6 per week for the child support payment, which is paid weekly alongside qualifying social welfare payments.

A permanent disability payment of €500 has also been agreed for the first time. Announcing the measure, Chambers said it will benefit “almost 240,000 people currently in receipt of long-term disability payments”.

There will also be a €5 increase to the fuel allowance, the same as last year. Advocacy groups raised concern in the run-up to the budget that this would not go far enough for older people who are “fearful” of the cost of heating their homes this winter.

As is customary, there will be a Christmas bonus this year for those in receipt of social welfare payments.