Over 15,000 Mayo families benefit from double child benefit payment this week

A TOTAL of 15,901 families in Mayo will benefit from a double child benefit payment this week to support them with the cost of living, Deputy Alan Dillon has said.

The Fine Gael deputy said the payment of €280 will be received in families’ bank accounts from today (Tuesday).

Said Deputy Dillon: “The double payment will put money back in people’s pockets and assist them with the rising cost of living.

“My colleague Minister Heather Humphreys recently delivered the largest social protection budget in the history of the state, with a mix of lump sum supports and increases to weekly payments.

“The double child benefit payment is the second of eight lump sum payments, as part as part of a €1.2 billion package designed to support people over the winter months.”

Minister Humphreys said this payment follows the autumn double payment last month, which supported 1.4 million pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and working families.

“Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be announcing the details of further lump sum payments to support people with their household bills,” she explained.

"These will include the €400 lump sum fuel allowance payment, the €200 payment for people living alone, €500 payment for carers, €500 support for people with disabilities and €500 payment for those in receipt of the Working Family Payment. These will be followed by the payment of the Christmas bonus in December.”

Commented Deputy Dillon: “Child benefit is an extremely important income support for thousands of hard-working families in Mayo, which is designed to help them at a time when they are really feeling the strain of rising household and energy costs.

“Inflation has put a heavy burden on many households and businesses in Mayo, and that’s why government responded in Budget 2023 with an €11 billion package.”