The €1.2m worth of lump sum social protection payments announced in last month's budget will begin issuing next Monday 17 October, with the autumn cost of living double payment first to be paid out. This payment is set to benefit 1.4m people.

On 1 November, those in receipt of a child welfare payment will receive double the usual monthly amount. This will reach 639,000 families and 1.2m children.

The fuel allowance lump sum payment of €400 will be paid to 371,000 recipients from Monday 14 November.

The 234,000 people in receipt of the living alone allowance will receive an extra €200 on the same Monday.

Other dates

Other payments that will be paid on that Monday include the €500 cost of living payment to those in receipt of working family payment and the €500 disability support grant to people receiving disability allowance, blind pension and invalidity pension.

In addition, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys and Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath confirmed that the annual Christmas bonus double payment will be paid the week commencing 5 December.

Minister Humphreys also secured a major expansion of the fuel allowance scheme, which will see up to 81,000 new households supported with their fuel cost for the first time, and across-the-board welfare increases of €12 per week.

These measures will take effect in January 2023.

The cost of the weekly shop has gone up and utility bills are rising

Making the announcement, Minister Humphreys said: “I know many people are feeling under pressure at the moment. The cost of the weekly shop has gone up and utility bills are rising.

“Government wants to help and that is why we are bringing forward this unprecedented package of eight lump sum payments, which will be issued to over 1.5m households between now and Christmas.

"These payments totalling over €1.2bn will support our pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and families over the coming months."

Minister McGrath said that Budget 2023 included a very comprehensive package of measures to be implemented over the rest of 2022 and into the early part of next year.

“One of the principles underlying the framing of the budget was the need to include measures that could be implemented quickly and would make a significant difference to families and households with their outgoings," he added.