North Cork Fine Gael Councillor John Paul O’Shea has welcomed the payment of the first tranche of cost-of-living lump sum payments from Budget 2024 which will ease the pressure that many households are currently facing.
Cllr. O’Shea said that hundreds of thousands of households across the country will benefit from the three cost-of-living lump-sum payments in the coming days.
“This week there will be increased supports for those in fuel poverty, people with disabilities, and low-income families. People will automatically receive the payments in addition to, and on the same day, as they usually receive their primary payment so there’s no need to apply”.
The lump sum payments being paid this week are:
• A €300 Fuel Allowance Lump Sum Payment that will be paid to 409,000 households throughout the week.
• A €400 Disability Support Grant will be paid to 214,000 people with disabilities who receive Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, or the Blind Pension from Wednesday 22nd November to Friday 24th November.
• A €400 lump sum Working Family Payment will be paid to 45,000 families on Thursday, 23rd November.
Cllr. O’Shea added “In total, there’s nine different lump sum payments for various recipients between November and January. In the next few weeks there will be further supports with the Living Alone Allowance, the Christmas Bonus Double Payment, and a doubling of Child Benefit before Christmas. This will hopefully give comfort to many”.
“Fine Gael is aware that the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact families throughout Cork. These payments will go a long way in supporting people. Budget 2024 was focused on putting money back into people’s pockets, and these lump sum supports demonstrates our continued commitment to supporting our citizens and families who are dealing with the ongoing cost of living pressures”, concluded Cllr. O’Shea.
