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heartbroken by the loss of their loved one should not face financial stress. Noel described the €3 increase in the living alone allowance as a joke. I ask the Taoiseach to not insult the intelligence of pensioners by trying to tell them otherwise. Three euro would not even … supermarket. That is the level of support pensioners living alone have got from this Government: the equivalent of a butter voucher. The living alone allowance has not been increased for five years. After all of that time, when costs across the country have soared by 30%, the Government

around €33,000 will now qualify for the fuel allowance, potentially opening the fuel allowance up to 10,000 additional people. The living alone allowance has been increased by €3 to €25 per week. That is a €300 million investment in the living alone allowance during

relief to those in the country who need it the most. That is very welcome. One measure I particularly pushed was the living alone allowance and I had ongoing discussions with the Minister, Deputy Dara Calleary, on that provision. I welcome there has been some movement … future because those living alone on long-term social welfare payments are those who are most at risk of poverty. The living alone allowance should have been adjusted to reflect that. I will touch on one measure I proposed prior to the budget on the housing front, which

winter, the temporary business energy support scheme, TBESS. will have to revisited in some guise. I advocated for an increase in the living alone allowance, which increased for the first time in five years. It would have been nice to see a slightly larger increase because filling … income instead of two. This is a concern and I had hoped for a lump sum or a greater increase in the living alone allowance, although I certainly welcome the first increase in about five years

Government and we will fulfil that commitment. We cannot look at any payment in isolation, as the Deputy has done with the living alone allowance. It has to be looked at in the context of the pension increase and the permanent increase in the fuel allowance. For many … organisations as to how best we design how that gets paid into the future. That is not insignificant. Back in 2017, the living alone allowance was €9. It is now €25 as a result of the increase. We are going to progressively increase that. It will cost

last year. The budget takes off €40 to €50, and another €140 in fuel allowance for those lucky enough to get fuel allowance. That is €700 up and €180 back at best. That is not relief; that is just rounding an error. Today the Government cut carbon … Government has finally admitted that living alone costs more. It costs more for pensioners, who received a €3 rise in the living alone allowance. The worker living alone gets absolutely nothing. Let us not forget the childless couple or the single man or woman who wants to leave

Budget 2027 contains a wide range of cost-of-living measures, including increases in the fuel allowance, the living alone allowance and social welfare payments, with the old-age pension going to €309.30 per week. There is an increase in children's allowance and improvements to the carer

against inflation. The fuel allowance will increase by €5 per week, helping more than 460,000 households. We have also increased the living alone allowance, benefiting older people and others living alone. The budget also provides for a new cost-of-disability payment of €500 to support

increase in the cost of groceries alone. Grocery increases are running at about €500 per year. Last year's budget was an assault on families and made the situation much worse for most households. The removal of the cost-of-living supports meant income losses across all income … double payments in October and at Christmas and lump sums for recipients of fuel allowance, child benefit, carer's allowance and the living alone allowance. That was needed this year. That is what the Government should have done. There are other issues I would like to come back

those most vulnerable to the volatility of the price of imported fossil fuel. Enhancements to the fuel allowance, increases to the living alone allowance and the child support payment changes to the working family payment income threshold, as well as the new cost-of-disability payment, will

Turning to the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant, I think it was an ideal opportunity to do something about youngsters not being allowed to work at weekends. I was promised that if they kept it under approximately €8,000 in the year, they could work weekends … some jobs. Quarries were mentioned as well, and the people supplying those kinds of materials. They got nothing either. Moving to the living alone allowance and the pension, an extra €3 for a person living alone on a pension is not much because they have

Taoiseach should listen back to Noel on "Today with David McCullagh" and hear exactly what he had to say about living alone allowance. He was not speaking just for himself but for countless pensioners living alone across the country who feel the badly let down by the Government

these people. Like many representatives over the last 24 hours, I am deeply disappointed in the totally inadequate €3 increase in the living alone allowance. This payment had not been increased in a number of years, and the Government thought that €3 was enough for older people living … risen to 40% living in poverty. A sum of €3 would not even buy a cup of coffee, let alone help older people with the cost of living. Many older people will also be disappointed with the €10 increase in the State pension. At least €15, which

critical infrastructure projects across our country. Since then, we have embarked on an unprecedented programme of change, and it is working. This year alone, we have: fast-tracked nationally significant projects through the Critical Infrastructure Act; cut months from project timelines through reformed approval processes; backed decision makers … income threshold for the fuel allowance for single pensioners from €534 to €641 per week, and I am also increasing the living alone allowance rate by €3 per week, or 14%, benefitting 260,000 recipients. To support families and children, I am increasing the weekly rates of child

already started to get emails from people seeking to know what they are going to do with €3. The increase to the living alone allowance was €3. I would not give that amount to a child to go to the shop because they would not be able

allowing thousands more older people to qualify for support and enable them also to apply for the warmer home scheme. The living alone allowance will be increased to €25 per week, benefiting more than 259,000 people. This was an important addition to the budget for my Independent … work on this. The lump sum payment of €500 will help bridge the gap between the current weekly disability allowance and the cost of living with a disability today. In my own Department of Transport, I am delighted to confirm €6.5 million funding for the vehicle adaptation scheme

million would build between 600 and 800 social homes. There has been a lot of talk about the €3 increase in the living alone allowance. I do not want to dump too much on the Minister, Deputy Calleary, because I genuinely believe he is an effective Minister … disregard for carers but the means test has to go. The fact that the Minister has done something on the cost of living is tentatively welcome but we need action on a permanent cost-of-disability payment next year. To go back to my point on capital gains

further expansion of hot school meals, which must be high-quality and nutritious, a universal back to school clothing and footwear allowance, and a reversal of fee increases on State exams and school transport. Children get just one chance at childhood, but the Government is squandering … terms in the allocation for overseas development aid as war rages across the world. Only a tokenistic increase was made in the living alone allowance after older people were promised €7 more per week. There was a failure to extend the domiciliary care allowance to all under

significant shopping streets worthwhile going to, and that has to be addressed in the context of Government funding. Some €3 for the living alone allowance was absolutely pathetic, particularly given the tax breaks we have given to the banks and the vulture funds. I cannot explain to people … pensions. Again, I have advocated in the past for a substantial increase in pensions to ensure that those people on them will live reasonably well during the course of a week. That has not happened. That €10 is well gone by the time it is going

helping families with the cost of heating their homes and filling up at the petrol pump. We are also increasing the living alone allowance, fuel allowance and pension and providing additional support for carers and people receiving social welfare payments, helping their money go that bit further. Alongside … permanent €500 cost-of-disability payment. I regularly meet disabled people and families who tell me about the additional costs that come with living with a disability, whether that is heating, transport, specialist equipment or simply everyday costs. This new payment is an important first step in helping

their constituents. Regarding older people who come through my office doors, how is an increase of €3 per week in the living alone allowance justified? It is literally the price of a packet of firelighters. You would not even get a cup of tea or coffee … last year in the budget. The Government has come out with something that is disconnected from the financial realities of the cost of living with a disability. I wish the members of Government luck. I would not like to be in their position going back to their communities

workers are telling me they would be better off staying at home as they would qualify for the medical card, free travel, fuel allowance, supplementary welfare payments and a social house. While the carbon tax applied to kerosene home heating oil and natural gas has been reduced … were on to me this morning very early saying they cannot manage if they are on their own. The increase in the living alone allowance was shameful. I said here before that €3 would not buy a cup of coffee or a bar of chocolate

fuel, the cost of heating your home, continues to rise. There are no energy credits and there is a cut to the fuel allowance. I genuinely do not understand it and I feel that we are going to be back here debating emergency measures. It is like … Government, yet people must wait. In the few seconds remaining to me, I want to talk about the €3 added to the living alone allowance. That is, quite frankly, an insult and I do not say that on my behalf. I say that on behalf of an elderly

government in 2011. This budget was one of the meanest of the decade for the elderly. A paltry €3 increase to the living alone allowance will hardly feed the cat, never mind keep up with the highest electricity prices in Europe. My staff yesterday spoke to a pensioner

Government and, by God, will it pay a price. As to pensioners, an equal increase in social welfare payments and the living alone allowance are, of course, welcome, but they are miserly and a pittance when you see the cost of everything. Certainly, I have to welcome

Protection if his attention has been drawn to the significant level of negative feedback in relation to the €3 increase to the living alone allowance announced in Budget 2027; and the actions he is taking to specifically support recipients of this payment in the context of a very

Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection to ensure that the full living alone allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied). [71511/26

Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost if the living alone allowance increased by €6 per week. [69808/26