Budget 2023
Last updated on 28 September 2022
Your guide to Budget 2023
From Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; Department of Finance
Published on 27 September 2022
This guide provides a high-level overview of Budget 2023.
It aims to explain how money will be raised and spent in 2023.
Social Welfare
weekly social welfare rates will be increased by €12 for working age recipients
there will also be a €12 increase in weekly payments for pensioners
the Working Family Payment threshold will increase by €40
there will be a €2 increase in the weekly rate for a qualified child qualified child
there will be an increase in eligibility for Fuel Allowance
a €500 lump sum for families availing of the Working Family Payment , a €500 lump sum for carers , a €500 lump sum for people in receipt of Disability payments and a €20 increase in the domiciliary care allowance for sick children
Health
all inpatient hospital charges will be abolished
GP visit cards will be provided to those on or below the median income (340,000 additional people)
there will be a €2 increase in the weekly rate for a Qualified Child
the Drug Payment Scheme threshold will remain at the lower rate of €80 in 2023
funding will be provided to provide access to IVF treatments
free contraception will be available for all women aged between 16 and 30
Childcare and Education
there will be a Free School Book Scheme for primary school pupils from autumn 2023
over 660 additional mainstream teachers, over 1,190 SNAs and 680 special education teachers will be provided
the National Childcare Scheme hourly subsidy is to increase from 50c to €1.40
there will be a €500 increase in post-graduate contribution grant for eligible families
over 4,800 additional places on craft and consortia-led apprenticeships and 4,000 places on craft apprenticeship programmes will be supported
Housing
funding will be made available to support 8,800 new HAP tenancies and 800 RAS tenancies
9,100 new-build social homes, 5,500 new affordable homes for sale and rent and 6,500 new social homes will be supported
funding to deliver 37,000 home energy upgrades
Other measures
1,000 new Garda and 430 Garda staff will be provided
the 20% fare reduction on public transport will be extended to the end of 2023
a €1.2 billion package of supports for businesses hit by soaring energy costs
Budget in Brief
Read the highlights of the Budget in an easy-to-understand format
Department of Social Protection
3. Supports for families and children
5. Supports for people with disabilities
9. Download our Budget fact sheet
Budget 2023 provides almost €2.2 billion in a package of measures that will assist people with the cost of living.
Cost of living measures
October 2022
Autumn cost of living double payment will be paid to most people who get a weekly social welfare payment including all pensioners, carers and people on disability payments
November 2022
€400 cost of living lump sum Fuel Allowance payment to all households getting the Fuel Allowance
€200 cost of living lump sum payment for pensioners and people with a disability getting the Living Alone Increase
€500 cost of living lump sum payment to all families getting the Working Family Payment
double payment of Child Benefit to support all families with children
€500 cost of living lump sum payment for people getting Carer’s Support Grant will be paid in November
€500 cost of living lump sum disability support grant will be paid to all people getting a long term disability payment
December 2022
Christmas Bonus double payment will be paid to 1.3 million welfare recipients including pensioners, carer’s and people with disabilities
Supports for pensioners
from January 2023 there will be a €12 increase in the maximum weekly rate of all state pensions. There will be proportionate increases for qualified adults and for people getting a reduced rate
new means test disregard for the Fuel Allowance increases to €500 (single person) and €1,000 (couple) for people aged 70 years and over
normal means assessment threshold for Fuel Allowance increases from €120 to €200 from January 2023
Autumn cost of living double pension payment paid to all pensioners in October
€200 cost of living lump sum payment paid in November to people who are getting a Living Alone Increase
Christmas Bonus double payment in December
Supports for families and children
double payment of Child Benefit to support all families in November
€500 cost of living lump sum payment paid to all families getting the Working Family Payment in November
the income thresholds for the Working Family Payment will be extended from January 2023 so that more families qualify for this payment. Working Family Payment threshold will increase by €40 per week regardless of family size
qualified child payments in weekly rates will increase by €2 in January 2023 bringing them to €50 for over 12s and €42 for under 12s
farming families – changes to Farm Assist means test from January 2023 to exempt income from Agri-Environmental Schemes up to €5,000
€12 increase in Maternity Benefit, Paternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit and Parent’s Benefit from January 2023
means assessment threshold for Fuel Allowance increases from €120 to €200 from January 2023
€20 million increase in School Meals budget year on year to allow for continued expansion of the scheme
Supports for carers
cost of living double payment to carers in October
€500 cost of living lump sum payment for people getting Carer’s Support Grant will be paid in November
carers will also get the Christmas Bonus double payment in early December
from January 2023 there will be a €12 increase in the maximum rate of the Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit. There will be proportionate increases for people getting a reduced rate
qualified child payments in weekly rates will increase by €2 in January 2023 bringing them to €50 for over 12s and €42 for under 12s
means assessment threshold for Fuel Allowance increases from €120 to €200 from January 2023
half-rate Carer’s Allowance will be disregarded in the means assessment for Fuel Allowance from January 2023
Supports for people with disabilities
Cost of living double payment paid to people getting Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension, Disablement Benefit and Partial Capacity Benefit
€500 cost of living lump sum disability support grant will be paid in November. This will be paid to people getting a long term Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension and Blind Pension
€200 cost of living lump sum payment for people getting a disability payment and who receive the Living Alone Increase
€400 cost of living lump sum Fuel Allowance payment
Christmas Bonus double payment to all persons getting a long term disability payment
Domiciliary Care Allowance will increase by €20.50 to €330 per month from January 2023
from January 2023 there will be an increase of €12 in maximum personal rate of weekly disability payments. There will be proportionate increases for qualified adults and for people getting a reduced rate
Domiciliary Care Allowance will be available in respect of children with severe illness or disability who remain in hospital for up to six months after birth
Disablement Benefit will be disregarded in the means assessment for Fuel Allowance from January 2023
€1 million expansion of the Reasonable Accommodation Fund to support people with disabilities in the workplace
the earnings disregard for Disability Allowance and Blind Pension will increase from €140 to €165 from January 2023
means assessment threshold for Fuel Allowance increases from €120 to €200 from January 2023
Supports for lone parents
Autumn cost of living double payment paid to all One-Parent Family Payment recipients
€500 cost of living lump sum payment to all lone parents getting Working Family Payment
€400 cost of living lump sum payment to one parent families in receipt of Fuel Allowance
double payment of Child Benefit (€280 per child) for all lone parents
Christmas Bonus double payment to all One-Parent Family recipients
from January 2023 there will be an increase of €12 in maximum personal weekly rate of One-Parent Family Payment. There will be proportionate increases for people getting a reduced rate
qualified child payments will increase by €2 in January 2023 bringing them to €50 for over 12s and €42 for under 12s
Supports for jobseekers
from January 2023 there will be an increase of €12 in maximum personal weekly rate of jobseekers payments. There will be proportionate increases for qualified adults and for people getting a reduced rate
qualified child payments will increase by €2 in January 2023 bringing them to €50 for over 12s and €42 for under 12s
Autumn cost of living double payment paid to all recipients of jobseekers’ payments, to be paid in October 2022
Christmas Bonus double payment to all people getting a long term jobseeker payment
Christmas Bonus
€293.7 million to be paid to 1.27 million long term welfare recipients in December 2022.
People who are getting the following payments will get the bonus:
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds
Daily Expenses Allowance (long term)
Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment
Jobseeker’s Allowance (long term)
State Pension (Non-contributory)
Supplementary Welfare Allowance (long term)
Tús (community work placement initiative)
Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension
Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-contributory) Pension
Download our Budget fact sheet
Budget 2023 Fact Sheet
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