Social welfare payments

2022 - 8 - 3

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Independent.ie"

National Women's Council calls for a hike of at least €20 on social ... (Independent.ie)

The National Women's Council (NWC) is calling for at least a €20 hike on all welfare payments in next month's Budget.

The group also believes there should be a universal public childcare model which guarantees “affordable, quality childcare for parents” and better pay and working conditions for early years teachers. The NWC called on the Government to increase core social welfare payments by at least €20 to address the rising cost of living and to introduce targeted supports for lone parents. The group also says the minimum wage should be increased and there should be a universal public childcare model

Social Welfare Ireland: Calls for €20 welfare increase and universal ... (Dublin Live)

'Inflation has the heaviest impact on those who have the least and that women are being hit the hardest'

Salaries are just not increasing in line with inflation.” They have less resources to turn to as the cost-of-living increases but wages and other income supports do not.” It is impacting deepest on those who already have the least.

Government could link dole payment increases to cost of living in ... (Irish Mirror)

Talks are already underway behind the scenes at the Department of Social Protection about benchmarking social welfare payments to the industrial wage. This ...

“NWC calls on the Government to deliver a universal public childcare model that guarantees access to affordable, quality childcare for parents, as well as better pay and working conditions for early years educators. The NWCI is calling on the Government to increase core social welfare payments by at least €20 to address the rising costs of living, and to deliver other targeted supports for those most at risk, such as lone parents. The industrial wage normally rises with the rising cost of living as employers and public sector bosses are forced to give pay hikes to people to help them keep up with inflation and a rising cost of living over time.

Pensions And Social Welfare Payments Could Be Linked To Inflation (TodayFM)

The benchmarking of the welfare support to the average industrial wage would mean payments could rise or fall with inflation.

"So you could track that on a separate energy payment, which would go up and down, but the core pension certainly needs to be adequate". "So there's still inflation - so in other words, you still need your income to be going up so you have an adequate income year-on-year. "So we need the pension to keep up with these costs".

Social welfare Ireland: Welfare and pension payments set to rise to ... (RSVP Live)

The Government are currently in the midst over overhauling the pension system and then the social welfare system will be next as they aim to benchmark ...

They are currently working to benchmark the pension system, and will then move to benchmark the social welfare system, the Irish Independent reports. Efforts to benchmark pension and social welfare rates are expected to be welcomed by campaigners, who have long called for rates to be linked to average wages. Social welfare and pension payments are set to rise as the Government are in talks to benchmark them to the average industrial wage, which should mean they rise with inflation.

Government plan to link social welfare with pay rises as cost of living ... (Buzz.ie)

Many groups have called upon the government to increase social welfare and pension payments as the cost of living continues to grow.

The kinks are still being ironed out by the Department of Social Welfare and then the Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, would have to bring those proposals to the Minister for Public Expenditure, Michael McGrath, ahead of Budget 2023. This news comes as many groups call upon the government to increase social welfare and pension payments as the cost of living continues to grow. Ministers are set to discuss how social welfare payments could also be linked to inflation in the upcoming Budget. Talks are reportedly currently underway at the Department of Social Protection regarding how social welfare could be linked to the industrial wage.

Major social welfare payment increase of AT LEAST €20 demanded ... (The Irish Sun)

A MAJOR increase in social welfare payments to match cost of living could be on cards as a €20 hike has been demanded by The National Women's Coun.

The group noted that investment in this area must also include the delivery of a "much-needed accommodation plan and refuge spaces". "This includes a variety of costs associated with lost employment and the costs of public and specialist services." In their pre- Budget submission, the NWC, who represent women and women's organisations across the country, have called for multiple reforms to tackle the current cost of living crisis.