Welfare up €10 a week, a new €500 disability payment and childcare fees capped at €550 a month
Weekly social welfare rates rise by €10, and a €500 cost-of-disability payment is introduced (RTÉ, Irish Times). The National Childcare Scheme receives an extra €65 million, with maximum monthly fees falling to €550 from next September and the universal subsidy rising from €2.14 to €2.50 an hour (Irish Times, Irish Examiner). Inheritance tax thresholds rise: parent to child from €400,000 to €420,000. Cigarettes rise to €20 a pack (TheJournal). A critic said a targeted €400 energy credit was refused.
These measures reach people on low incomes, parents and carers, who gain least from income tax changes.
If you receive welfare, the €10 increase starts from the new year; check dates with the Department. Parents should look for the fee cap next September.
The Government says it is targeting the most vulnerable and families with young children.
Anti-poverty groups say €10 does not match the rise in the cost of living, especially for energy.
Compare the €10 rise with 3.9% inflation. For many households energy is the larger worry than the welfare rate.
DailyDrop Ireland edition No. 3 · Morning · WED., OCT. 7, 2026