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LAST UPDATE | 1 Oct 2024
MINISTER FOR SOCIAL Protection Heather Humphreys has defended the provision of two double child benefit payments to all families with children this year.
Humphreys said it a family doesn’t need the additional child benefit payments they can give them back.
As part of Budget 2025, an unprecedented two double child benefit payments will be made before Christmas this year, one in November and one in December.
Last year, one double child benefit payment was paid.
Think-tank Social Justice Ireland has criticised the decision to rely on one-off lump sum payments rather than increasing the monthly rate to support low income families.
During a press conference this afternoon, Minister Humphreys was asked what her response is to people who say there is an element of ‘waste’ with these additional payments and that they should have been targeted to families who really need them.
“I wouldn’t see too many people that don’t need it. You might think a lot of people don’t need it, well, if they don’t need it they can give it back,” Humphreys said.
The minister explained the government’s rationale for the decision and said the reason for the two double payments this year is because last year’s payment was “extremely, extremely popular”.
“There’s a lot of pressure on families, let’s face it…Many people said to me that it was a real boost coming up to Christmas,” Humphreys said.
She made the point that the separate child support payment (formerly the Increase for A Qualified Child) is a targeted measure for low income families.
When asked if she accepts that some families are in a position to save their child benefit payment when other families rely on it for day-to-day spending, driving further inequality in society, Minister Humphreys said:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I worked in a credit union for years and people say, ‘oh, millionaires get it [child benefit]‘, I didn’t see too many millionaires. I saw a lot of parents that were damn glad of it. And that’s my view on it. It’s a universal payment, and I can see that it’s a benefit to families, and it helps them.”
When the minister was then asked if many millionaires are typically saving in credit unions, Humpreys said: “Well I saw a few boys with plenty of money”.
“I get this every year. I told you, I worked in the credit union for many years. I didn’t see many millionaires coming in the door. I saw people coming in that door that needed that payment.
“It’s a universal payment. And if you start means tested, you have winners, you love losers.
It has that universal aspect to it and I’m happy that it continues that way,” the Minister said.
It is possible to return unwanted child benefit payments to the Department but it is understood that very few families do.
In an interview with The Journal, Humphrey’s comments were put to Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe.
Donohoe said it is a matter for individuals if they want to give the child benefit payment back to the state, as suggested by Humphreys.
"A small few may not need it, but the vast majority do"
— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) October 1, 2024
Minister Paschal Donohoe is asked about Heather Humphreys' suggestion that those who don't need the double child benefit payment can give it back. #Budget2025 pic.twitter.com/Jc7QVchhiX
“This is a measure that is targeted towards those who have children. A small few may not need it, the vast majority do,” Donohoe said.
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Social justice Ireland are speaking for those on welfare payments, many working parents who on paper seem to have money, but actually have to pay for everything, no back to school allowance, no medical card …as someone who has worked for 25 years paying tax and rearing kids I am delighted that I will be getting 2 double payments! Why would I give back money when I pay tax?
@Mary Kelly: Fair enough and I don’t begrudge you.
However: As a childless single, also working and paying taxes for 25 years, what do I get for my taxes?
@Wolfgang Bonow: you have had 25years of not having to spend all your wages on rearing kids. You are probably financially much better off as a result.
@Wolfgang Bonow: you get to keep the 11k a year it costs to raise a child
@Wolfgang Bonow: without your mother lad you would not be here
@Mary Kelly: women are the bedrock of the nation whatever you get you are entitled to it (fair play)
Ministers ‘not needing’ the travel allowance could also give it back
What a childish answer…she really is a lightweight
@David Cotter: Is there any of them you can call lightweight
@David Cotter: she hasn’t a clue
Micky money equals votes in this government’s estimation.
Already employers have difficulty getting people to work normal hours because if they exceed certain means tests they are worse off. Fearing success is an unintended consequence. It’s why socialist economies collapse.
I an 17 euro better a week off after this budget, I am up at 5am everyday and home for 6pm, meanwhile if I sit on my hole all day I get 13 euro a week extra, the mind baffles
@paul dutton: Don’t sweat it Paul ,as it was and as it will always be here …
That response just confirms the contempt these people have for the Irish people.
@Jack Cass: then vote them out at the election.
Sure she can set up another quango dept to take back the returns.
Why are people complaining about getting extra children’s allowance. If you got a reduction you would complain too. This talk of means test is nonsense too….only thing that could be implemented is the more tax you pay the higher rate you get or else it further makes working harder for a cohort.
@Dramafree 2023: How is means testing it ,and indeed the Energy payment nonsense please explain ? The claim the aren’t able to do it ,well they can manage means testing for other benefits .The glib answer from the minister sums up this smug lot.
@Gerry Campbell: I did not mention the energy payment so I’ll leave that to someone else but as a working family I can not understand why people who already get an allowance weekly for their kids should get children allowance but people who pay alot of tax which most working families do….dont get it. It makes no sense to me that those who contribute the most to the pot get cut out of that payment. We pay huge childcare fees for the privilege of paying the tax….
@Dramafree 2023: Yes I agree ,that’s my point on means testing it to a level between you and myself one time and just for example Simon Harris who has young kids ,Michael O’Leary back in his day ( at the risk of my never travelling again) etc ,they do not need it ,nor the energy credit , set a threshold and use the saved funds better …
@Gerry Campbell: no I can’t agree. Michael oleary contributes more tax than anyone. Why not give him 140 a month back…keep him sweet…
@Dramafree 2023: Because he won’t notice it ,have we bright enough civil servant’s to come up with a “who will notice it ” point…Anyway we won’t meet on this one …
@Gerry Campbell: I am sure we won’t but he pays more tax a week than many pay a year….I’m still in favour of him getting the 140 a month in exchange for the 12k a week he pays….
@Dramafree 2023: It’s a conundrum…personally I’m not a tax the Rich proponent ,fair play to them worked hard for it but there has to be a half way point between a millionaire getting the same Children’s allowance as the mothers of my two granddaughters, we need to be smarter,but too much to hope for between all the overspending on ,well you know what but apparently there were modular homes available at the ploughing at 80k ,so even with the groundwork etc ,we need to check why we throw 450k at them and at whom ..anyway I digress as usual.
Child benefit should be means tested. Why should a millionaire and someone on minimum wage get the same
@Chris Lane: because they’re paying higher taxes! Why shouldn’t they?
@Niamh Healy: While they may pay higher taxes, they most certainly don’t pay their fair share of taxes – that’s why politicians create loopholes, to ensure they don’t. Maybe if Noonan hadn’t invited the cuckoo funds in with the promise of 0% landlord tax, the housing crisis wouldn’t be as bad as it is.
@Ann Reddin: What loopholes are you referring to? I doubt you’ll answer as there aren’t any , high tax payers ie those above 100k salary pay over 2/3rds of the entire income tax take .
So does that go for tds also, if they don’t need their pensions they should give them back.
Talking all week about taking care of carers and disabled,very little change, it will be eaten up with the extra extra heating bills that carers have on equipment, and bin charges on extra waste.
Then carbon tax will wipe everything else, cause we have no choice but to drive, bigger cars for chairs and equipment. And endless appointments.
@Colette Byrne: she never said people should give the payment back. She said they can if they want. She doesn’t care one way or the other as its not her money. As long as you vote fffg that’s all that’s required from this fool of a woman.
Don’t think there are many millonarios going into credit union -gracias.jmo.
Typical Ireland, Government increases childrens allowance and people moan. Look at the UK Government
@Peter Byrne: Sure if ya don’t like “ typical Ireland “ off to the UK with ya then, your have the west-Brit feel, so you should fit right in lol
@Peter Byrne: typical hypocritical Peter always moaning about moaning…. Always complaining about others doing what he does!
@Michale Kane: I think that Peter’s comment went straight over your head. In the UK, for example, there is uproar due to cuts in the fuel allowance and how it affects the elderly in particular. Whereas here in Ireland many will benefit from the extra payments in today’s budget, but a lot are still complaining. And then you call him a ‘West Brit’? That reveals more about you than it does about anyone else. Enjoy your evening
@Trevor McCormack: Well Trev my comment was in jest and obviously went over your very lofty head. See Pete is an FG dude who comments and replies to people telling them to leave the country, run for election, always moaning about moaning and moans about people getting the dole and/or increases, so in effect is moaning about himself lol.
@Trevor McCormack: And in all due respect I don’t give a duck about the UK, nor cherry picking the good things/bad things from UK depending on your argument nonsense.
@Peter Byrne: child benefit hasn’t gone up in 13 years…this bonus equates to 5 euro a week when the government should be increasing it as we are experiencing massive fall in births from native Irish….they would rather import into the country to deal with it, no matter the consequences.
And two double payment’s might buy some votes this year.
Why could they not give a tax break bonus to all workers instead of rewarding just those who went off and had kids.
What kind of clown is she
@Sean O: the stuqid type
@Sean O: A very comfortable one.
Is she for real who is going to give there money
Jeez after reading that statement twice it’s even worse! What a clown, is this the political level these days ? Back to stories of the ‘man with two pints”.
Haha what a tool she is
Plenty well people out there dont need it. First tds should not be getting it as there on high enough salaries
Means test it you( ninny )surely then there will be a huge surplus if they don’t need it then you can give more to the folk that need it simple economics jeez
In the credit union I am sure only people with money in could get money out! .Maybe any bonus cash laying around could start to go back to the tax payers that put it in as much as the people that didn’t put anything in!
Gotta love an election budget. Nice extra few quid in there for us for Xmas!
Horrible
Worked all my life paid tax prsi and usc, now in receipt of contributory OAP .
Got the same €12 in the budget as someone who has never worked, never will and contributes nothing, where is the respect and maybe a little thanks?
I feel so sorry for individuals who come on here to justify what they are entitled to, it’s the ones who are not entitled to it and don’t want same need to be heard why they don’t want same, we were all children so we should know it ain’t easy for families.Also if it’s referred to as M money then they need to tested as to what they are entitled to instead of using this outdated reference to the human body, it’s called children allowance and not M money, so you are only entitled to it if you have children, if you don’t wish to have children that’s your choice.
Another Brain fart from Heather.
Smug answer.
Working people with no kids have nothing to give back as they are getting nothing.
What is the statutory mechanism by which you can give it back?
Dont need it give it back!
have your say