Jobseekers to be refused same hike, but carers and disability allowance could see similar rise
She is locked in budget negotiations with her coalition partners and has drafted a plan that would see one of the single biggest increases in the pension announced on October 1 and bring the payment to €292.30 a week.
Over the last 10 years, all social welfare rates were increased at the same level, including the jobseeker’s allowance.
However, Ms Humphreys is insisting that the Government’s final Budget before the general election will not see people who are in long-term unemployment receive the same increase in their weekly payments as pensioners.
She is understood to be open to compromise on how much the jobseeker’s allowance might increase by, but does not want it to go up by as much as €15 a week.
The minister is arguing that if she increases the jobseeker’s allowance by this amount, other social welfare supports cannot be increased.
The Department of Social Protection estimates that a €1 increase to all welfare payments, including the jobseeker’s allowance, costs €75m a year.
Ms Humphreys also wants payments such as the carer’s allowance and disability payments to increase by €15 in line with the state pension, as they have done in previous years.
The state pension increase is also only one part of the minister’s budget proposals aimed at support older people.
Ms Humphreys is pushing for a lump-sum payment of €200 for people who receive the living alone allowance.
She is also seeking a double payment of the state pension and other welfare payments in October and December.
Separately, thousands more pensioners are in line for fuel allowance payments, with the age for the scheme being lowered from 70 to 66 years.
Ms Humphreys announced she was opening the payment to more people at Fine Gael’s recent parliamentary party meeting in Tullamore, Co Offaly.
There will also be targeted fuel allowance payments for older people who are struggling to pay energy costs in the winter months.
Ministers have spent the last week setting out their Budget priorities in meetings with Finance Minister Jack Chambers and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe.
The Government leaders agreed this week that energy credits will be paid again this year, but will be far less than during the inflation crisis.
A tax package worth €1.4bn will also be unveiled and is expected to consist of cuts to the universal social charge, tax credit hikes and an increase to the entry point for the highest rate of income tax.
The Green Party is seeking a once-off payment of €560 for new parents to help with the cost of raising a child. Ms Humphreys has said she is supportive of the proposal, but it did not form a part of her Budget submission.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said he wants the €140 monthly child benefit payment increased and Taoiseach Simon Harris said the Budget will include measures to help tackle childhood poverty.
