Thousands set to get €200 cash boost, check if you're eligible

Social welfare recipients in Ireland will receive a cash boost of €200 today as of part of the government’s cost of living package. The lump sum payment was announced back in February to provide additional support for over 1.3 million pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and lone parents.

The payments will total over €261 million and recipients of Working Family Payment will also benefit from the cost of living support. It is the first bonus payment of several that will be rolled out to various groups over the next few months aimed at assisting those who are most in need.

Who is entitled to the payment?

The €200 lump sum payment will be paid in the week commencing 24 April to people in receipt of long-term social welfare payments. This means the same groups that received the Christmas bonus in 2022 are eligible for this €200 bonus lump sum, including those on jobseekers payments or illness benefit for over 12 months, and people in receipt of the Working Family Payment, as per RSVP Live:

These groups include:

• Back to Education Allowance
• Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
• Back to Work Family Dividend
• Benefit payment for 65-year-olds
• Blind Pension
• Carer's Allowance and Carer's Benefit (including half-rate Carer's Allowance)
• Community Employment
• Deserted Wife's Allowance and Benefit
• Daily Expenses Allowance, formerly called Direct Provision Allowance for 12 months
• Disability Allowance
• Disablement Benefit
• Domiciliary Care Allowance
• Farm Assist
• Guardian's Payment (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
• Illness Benefit for 12 months or more
• Invalidity Pension
• Jobseeker's Allowance for 12 months (312 days)
• Jobseeker's Transitional payment
• Magdalene Laundry Payment
• One-Parent Family Payment
• Partial Capacity Benefit
• Rural Social Scheme
• State Pension (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
• Supplementary Welfare Allowance for 12 months
• Tús
• Widow, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)

Working Family Payment recipients who are yet to receive their first payment, will also get it at the end of April. However, the €200 lump sum payment will not be given to people who are on social welfare support for less than 12 months.

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How to get the payment

The bonus will be paid directly into your account on the same day you would normally receive your social welfare payment. So if you usually get your social welfare payment on a Monday, you will get the bonus on that day as well. Additional payments will be made from June with parents getting a Child Benefit bonus of €100 and then another bonus later this year as part of the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance.

The Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys described the payment, as per Gov.ie:

These measures are another demonstration of the government’s commitment to assisting with the increase in the cost of living. This shows that, even a few months after introducing the largest Social Protection Budget in the State’s history, we will continue to respond in order to protect those most in need.

Read more:

⋙ Thousands claiming benefits warned of travelling this summer: Your payments could be affected

Sources used:

- RSVP Live 'Cost of living: Thousands of people set for €200 cash boost from today'

- The Irish Mirror 'Social welfare: Thousands to get €200 cash boost next week'

- Gov.ie 'Minister Humphreys announces payment details for €200 cost of living lump sum payment'