The minister has ruled out both. Child Support Payments and the Working Family Payment are where the money is going.
Two things have been confirmed about Budget 2027 and children. Child Benefit, paid at €140 a month per child to every family regardless of income, is not expected to increase. And the long-promised second tier, a means-tested top-up for lower-income households, will not be introduced this year. Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary has said so directly.
Why not
Child Benefit costs around €2.2 billion a year, and a €10 monthly increase would add roughly €150 million. The Government’s stated priority is reducing child poverty, and a universal payment sends most of its money to households that are not in poverty. The second tier was designed to fix that, but the Department has said it is not ready for 2027.
Where the money goes instead
The Child Support Payment, previously called the Increase for a Qualified Child, is paid on top of welfare payments for each child in the household. Budget 2026 raised it to €62 a week for children under 12 and €78 for children aged 12 and over. Further increases are expected on Tuesday, because this payment reaches welfare households directly.
The Working Family Payment supports lower-income families where at least one adult is in employment. Its income thresholds are expected to rise, bringing more families into eligibility or increasing what current recipients get. Last year’s Budget also extended the Fuel Allowance to around 50,000 Working Family Payment households.
What it means in cash terms
For a family on Jobseeker’s Allowance with two children under 12, a €10 core rate increase plus a possible rise in Child Support Payments could add €20 to €25 a week from January. For a working family just above welfare thresholds, the Working Family Payment change is the one to watch, and the thresholds are published in the Budget documents.
When it arrives
Weekly welfare increases announced on Tuesday take effect from January 2027. One-off payments, lump sums and the Christmas Bonus, if confirmed, are paid between October and December. The Christmas Bonus was paid at 100% last year to around 1.5 million recipients and is expected to be confirmed again.
