Budget 2005 - Increases
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◊ Personal Rates
◊ Child Benefit
◊ Qualified Adult Allowances
◊ Carers
◊ Disability
◊ Families and Children
Personal Rates
Increase of €12 per week for all pensioners as follows:
- Old Age Pension.
- Retirement Pension.
- Widows & Widowers aged over 66.
- Invalidity Penson recipients aged over 65.
- Death Benefit recipients aged over 66.
- Deserted Wife's Benefit/Allowance aged over 66.
- Carer's Allowance recipients aged over 66.
- One Parent Family Payment recipients aged over 66.
Increase of €14 per week for all on lower payment rates as follows:
- Widows, Widowers and women in receipt of Deserted Wife's Benefit aged under 66.
- Invalidity Pension recipients aged under 65.
- Death Benefit recipients aged under 66.
- Disablement Pension.
- Unemployment Benefit & Assistance.
- Disability Benefit & Allowance.
- One Parent Family Payment recipients under 66.
- Blind Pension.
- Pre-Retirement Allowance.
- Farm Assist.
- Carer's Benefit.
- Carer's Allowance recipients aged under 66.
- Constant Attendance Allowance.
- Orphans Pension & Allowance.
- Supplementary Welfare Allowance.
(January 2005)
(The above increases apply to full rate payments and there are proportionate increases for recipients of reduced rate payments.)
Child Benefit
- Increase of €10 for each of the first two children.
- Increase of €12 for the third and each subsequent child.
(April 2005)
Qualified Adult Allowances
- Increase of €9.30 per week in Qualified Adult Allowance for Old Age (Contributory) Pension, Retirement Pension and Invalidity Pension where the qualified adult is aged 66 or over.
- Increase of €8 per week in Qualified Adult Allowance for Old Age (Contributory) Pension and Retirement Pension where the qualified adult is under age 66.
- Increase of €7.90 per week in Qualified Adult Allowance for all recipients of Old Age (Non- Contributory) Pension.
- Increase of €10 per week in Qualified Adult Allowance for Invalidity Pension where the qualified adult is under age 66.
- Increase of €9.30 per week in Qualified Adult Allowance for Blind Pension where the qualified adult is under age 66.
- Increase of €9.30 per week for all other qualified adult payments.
These rates apply to full-rate qualified adult allowances with proportionate increases for people on reduced payments. (All Qualified Adult Allowances increase from January 2005)
Carers
- The Respite Care Grant extended to all Carer's providing full-time care to an older person or a person with a disability, regardless of means, subject to certain employment related conditions. (June 2005)
- Respite Care Grant increased by €165 from €835 to €1,000 in respect of each care recipient. (June 2005)
- Limit of payment of Respite Care Grant to only two care recipients abolished. (June 2005)
- Weekly income disregard for Carer's Allowance increased by €20/€40 to €270 (single) and €540 (couple). (April 2005)
- Increase of €120 per week in earnings limit for Carer's Benefit to €270 per week. (April 2005)
- Condition requiring recipients of Carer's Benefit to be in employment in the three months prior to commencement of full-time caring abolished. (April 2005)
Disability
- Special new €35 weekly personal payment to persons resident in institutional settings who are not receiving Disability Allowance. (June 2005)
- €1m for Comhairle to fund preparations for an Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities.
- Entitlement to full-rate Disability Benefit to persons tranferring from Long-Term Unemployment Assistance who have a total of 260 contributions paid. (May 2005)
- Options of using either of two previous Relevant Tax Years to qualify for Disability Benefit when transferring from Occupational Injury Benefit. (April 2005)
- Extend entitlement to full-rate Injury Benefit to persons also in receipt of Disablement Benefit. (April 2005)
Families and Children
- Child Benefit increases to €141.60 per month for each of the first two children and to €177.30 per month for the third and each subsequent child. (April 2005)
- Family Income Supplement (FIS) weekly income thresholds to be increased by €39 to benefit every family on FIS. See Rates of Payment.
- Increase of €14 per week in the minimum rate of Maternity Benefit, from €151.60 to €165.60
- Increase in rate of Maternity Benefit from 70% to 75% of reckonable weekly earnings.
- One Parent Family Payment recipients to receive transitional half-rate payment for 6 months where income exceeds €293 per week.
- Increase the income threshold for entitlement to half-rate Child Dependant Allowance with Unemployment Benefit, Disability Benefit, Injury Benefit and Health & Safety Benefit by €50 to €350 per week.
- Continuation of funding for existing creche supplement recipients and their community crecheS, and funding of new cases referred by Health Sector Personal Social Services Professionals.
- Updating of the Diet Supplement Scheme.
(All increases under Families and Children are January 2005 except Child Benefit which is April 2005)
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Download Budget Factsheet 2005 in PDF