Government Subsidies and Supports for Irish Tax Residents 2024

Changes to Social Welfare Benefits for tax payers as well as other supports provided for Irish residents are as follows:

Irish Electricity Customers are due to receive two more credits of €150 in 2024:

January - €150 through your Electricity Provider

March - €150 through your Electricity Provider

You have also received €150 credit in December 2023.

Remember, always switch your electricity and gas provider when your contract ends or negotiate rates with them to stay!

Parents Benefit

Parents Benefit and Parents Leave will increase from 7 weeks to 9 weeks from August 2024.

Statutory Sick Pay

If you are an Employee who has worked in company continuously for minimum 13 weeks and and you fall ill you will be able to get paid while sick subject to providing a Doctor's Certificate. This can now be up to 5 days in 2024 (increasing from 3 days in 2023).

This is now a legal requirement from 2023.

Sick pay will paid by your employer at 70% of your normal pay up to a maximum of €110 a day.

Remember, you can get also get sick pay if you are on probation, an intern, an apprentice or an agency worker.

The entitlement to paid sick leave is increasing in the next two year, to 7 days in 2025 and 10 days in 2026.

Some other benefits include:

Free Travel Scheme

From July 2024, the Free Travel Scheme will be extended to people who are medically certified unfit to drive.

Pay-Related Benefit Scheme

The Government has proposed a new Pay-Related Benefit Scheme for jobseekers which is expected to be introduced in Quater 4 of 2024. Under the scheme, a person will get a jobseeker’s payment rate linked to their previous employment income. For some in employemnet over 5 years thath start claiming jobseekers this would mean up to €450 gross per week.

Free schoolbooks will be now be extended to provide to all Junior cycle students form Septmeber 2024.

State Exam Fees will be waived for State examinations held in 2024.

The National Childcare Scheme subsidy is increased from €1.40 per hour tp €2.14 from September 2024.

Free contraception from Janaury 2024 the age limit is increased to include women of 31 years of age (currently 18-30 yrs inclusive).

Social Welfare Rates

Most of social welfare payments such as different benefits and allowances, state pensions, CE scheme wages will see an increase of €12 per week in 2024.