The new rate of pensions and weekly social welfare increases announced in Budget 2017 will start to come into effect from this week onwards, with all higher payments in place by St Patrick’s Day. The maximum personal rate of pension will increase by €5 per week for 578,000 pensioners aged 66 and over from this week.

There will also be a €5 increase for 744,000 weekly welfare recipients including carers, blind people, widows, people with disabilities, lone parents, jobseekers, maternity and paternity benefit, Farm Assist recipients, and Community Employment participants. There will also be proportional increases for qualified adults and those on reduced rates of payment.

Payment Date of increases in the weekly rates of Social Welfare Payments - 2017

9th March

  • Carer’s Allowance recipients aged 66 and over.
  • Deserted Wife’s Benefit recipients aged 66 and over

10th March

  • State Pension (contributory)
  • Widow/er’s, surviving civil partner’s (contributory) pension recipients aged 66 and over
  • Death benefit pension recipients aged 66 and over
  • State pension (non-contributory)

13th March

  • Maternity/Paternity/Adoptive Benefit
  • Illness Benefit
  • Health and Safety Benefit
  • Injury Benefit
  • Supplementary Welfare Allowance

15th March

  • Disability Allowance
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance (other than Jobseeker’s Transition payment)
  • Pre-retirement allowance
  • Farm Assist

16th March

  • Invalidity Pension
  • Jobseeker’s Benefit, Carer’s Benefit
  • Deserter Wife’s Benefit under the age of 66
  • Carer’s Allowance recipients under the age of 66
  • One-parent Family Payment (other than where payable in respect of a widow, widower or surviving civil partner)
  • Jobseeker’s Transition payment
  • Deserted Wife’s Allowance

17th March

  • Widow/er’s, surviving civil partner’s (contributory) pension recipients under the age of 66
  • Death benefit pension recipients under the age of 66
  • Guardian’s payment (contributory and non-contributory)
  • Disablement pension and disablement gratuity
  • Incapacity Supplement
  • Blind pension
  • Widow/er’s, surviving civil partner’s (non-contributory) pension
  • One-parent family payment (payable in respect of a widow, widower or surviving civil partner)

Published: 09 March 2017