Over 30,000 Meath families to receive double child benefit payments today

Hannah McNamara

Double child benefit payments will be delivered to over 30,000 families in Meath today.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys announced yesterday that 650,000 families nationwide will be supported with the cost of living.

Meath will see 30,709 families, 57,904 children receive double child benefit payments, totalling to €16,213,120.

Minister Humphreys said: “I’m very pleased to announce that 650,000 families will receive a Double Child Benefit Payment on Tuesday to support them with the cost of living. This means that families will receive payments of €280 per child tomorrow.

“I am very conscious of the pressure families are under particularly in the run up to Christmas. Child Benefit is one of the few tools within the Department of Social Protection that I can use to support working families. I know from my days working in the Credit Union how much families depend on the monthly Child Benefit payment and I am delighted to announce details of this double payment today which will support hundreds of thousands of hardworking families across the country.”

Child Benefit is a monthly payment of €140 for each child who qualifies. All children qualify up to the age of 16 and until their 18th birthday if they are in full-time education or have a disability.

From September 2024, Child Benefit will be extended to 18-year-olds in full-time education, covering those at second level or otherwise while they remain in full time education (until their 19th birthday). The measure will benefit families in respect of approximately 60,000 18-year-olds.

The Christmas Bonus payment was also confirmed by Minister Humphreys, which will be paid to approximately 1.3 million people this week including Pensioners, Carers and People with Disabilities.