With Budget 2026 just days away, households across Ireland are anxiously awaiting news on what supports, if any, might be introduced to ease the persistent cost of living pressures, reports The Mirror.
The 2025 social welfare package totalled €1.2 billion and featured one-off lump sum payments ranging from €100 to €400, double welfare payments such as the Christmas Bonus, and a €12 weekly increase in core social welfare payments.
Additionally, all households received €250 in electricity bill relief through two €125 credits — a measure many had hoped would return, particularly as energy companies recently announced price increases, reports The Mirror.
However, expectations of a repeat have largely been dashed. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has confirmed there will be no “universal” cost of living supports this time, while Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe was even more blunt, saying the Government “will not repeat” last year’s broad payments.
Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers also shut down speculation about a potential new €80 energy credit, stating: “I don’t expect them to be part of Budget 2026,” reports The Mirror.
Still, there is growing speculation that social welfare recipients may see a notable uplift. The Irish Examiner reports that Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary is advocating for the return of the annual Christmas Bonus, which gives a one-off double payment of a recipient’s normal weekly rate ahead of Christmas.
One Government source told the paper that the bonus has become almost a “permanent fixture”, due to its inclusion in several recent budgets, reports The Mirror.
Calleary is also said to be pushing for another €12 rise in weekly core welfare payments — echoing the €12 boost given in Budget 2025, which supported about 27 different payment groups.
Addressing the Dáil on Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin noted that the total social welfare package could amount to €1.8 billion. However, many final decisions about next Tuesday’s Budget are still to be made, with negotiations expected to continue into Sunday or Monday — including those affecting the Social Protection budget, reports The Mirror.
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