Social welfare Ireland: Thousands of families set for €280 double payment per child today

Over 600,000 families will receive a double payment per child today.

The first of two Child Benefit double payments is being paid today, with the second set to land next month.

The €280 double payments were announced as part of the government's cost of living package in Budget 2025.

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667,000 families, in respect of over 1.2 million children, will receive a double Child Benefit payment today.

There was no need to apply for the double payment as it will be automatically applied to anyone in receipt of Child Benefit. The same goes for the December double payment, which will land in accounts on the 3rd of December.

The double payments come as the government is prepared to roll out a triple Child Benefit payment to all new parents from January.

The €420 lump sum was announced as part of Budget 2025 last month and will be paid for parents as their first Child Benefit payment.

Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys has said that the first payment will be made in January, but parents of babies born in December of this year will still receive it.

Heather Humphreys told the Dáil that she was contacted by many women since the budget announcement whose babies are due to arrive in December.

Ms Humphreys said they were worried their babies would arrive too late for the double child benefit payment that month but too early for the newborn grant which will be paid from January.

"As a mother, I do not want to see any woman miss out," she said. "I am pleased to confirm to the House tonight that babies born in December will be eligible to receive the newborn grant when their mother receives their first Child Benefit payment in January.

"So my message to those families is – don’t worry, the Christmas babies will be looked after."

The mothers of babies born in December will now be eligible to receive the €420 grant when they receive their first child benefit payment in January. The Budget had previously indicated that the grant would be paid to every baby born from just after midnight on January 1, 2025.