Three €150 energy credits to be paid to the public through the winter

Kenneth Fox

The public will be paid €150 energy credits in December, January, and March under plans to go to Cabinet on Tuesday.

The renewed credit scheme announced in last week's Budget will be brought by Eamon Ryan and will go directly to 2.2 million households over the winter.

As the Irish Examiner reports, the payments will be applied to bills on December 1st, 2023, January 1st, 2024, and March 1st, 2024.

For some households it may take longer to see the credit on their bill because of the nature of the two-monthly billing cycle for electricity, it has been warned.

However, the credits will be applied automatically. Households do not need to apply for them.

Minister for Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys is also expected to lay out the timetable for lump sum payments from her department.

She is expected to tell colleagues that the first of the lump payments will be made on the week beginning Monday, November 20th.

These will be the €400 Working Family Payment, which will support 46,500 households. Also that week, the €400 Disability Support Grant will be issued to over 214,000 people with disabilities.

The €300 Fuel Allowance lump sum will also be made that week, and it is understood the second batch of lump sum supports will be issued on the week beginning Monday, November 27th.

These include the €400 Carer’s Support Grant, which will be paid to approximately 130,000 carers, and the €200 support for people on the Living Alone Allowance will be made.

Finally that week, the €100 Qualified Child Benefit will be issued.

On the week beginning December 4th, the 100 per cent Christmas Bonus payment will be made, as will the double Child Benefit payment of €280 per child.

The final will be paid on the week beginning January 29th.

Overall, the total cost of providing these nine cost of living payments is over €1.2 billion.

Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman is set to seek approval to implement Ireland’s national programme for the EU’s Asylum Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) for 2021 to 2027.

The proposal would allow Ireland to draw down an initial €50m to assist refugees coming from countries like Syria and Afghanistan, with further funding set to be available.