Social welfare recipients will get new once-off payment in October(Image: No credit)

Cost of living: More than a million people to receive double social welfare payment this week

by · Irish Mirror

More than a million people are in line for a double payment this week with the October cost of living payment being in the coming days.

This week is a double week for social welfare recipients, with eligible people receiving twice their usual weekly payment as part of a bumper cost of living package announced in Budget 2025.

Due to be paid out during the week starting October 28, but many could have been paid early due to the Bank Holiday.

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With banks and post offices shit for the October bank holiday Monday, anyone due to receive their payment on Monday would have been on Friday.

The October Bonus is 100 per cent of your normal weekly payment, with the minimum bonus amount that will be paid out is €20, RSVP Live reports.

If an Increase for a Qualified Adult is paid directly to your dependent spouse, civil partner or cohabitant, the October Bonus is also paid directly to them.

If you are getting 2 eligible social welfare payments (for example, a One-Parent Family Payment and the Domiciliary Care Allowance or a half-rate Carer’s Allowance as well as your primary payment) you will get the October Bonus for both payments.

For Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA), which is paid monthly, the bonus is 100 per cent of the weekly DCA rate. The DCA portion of the bonus is calculated independently of other payments.

Here's a full list of the people who will receive the October bonus:

  • Back to Education Allowance - people coming from jobseeker's payments need to be getting the Allowance for at least 12 months (312 days), but you may be able to use your time on your jobseeker’s payment to help you qualify.
  • Back to Work Enterprise Allowance - people coming from jobseeker's payments need to be getting the Allowance for at least 12 months (312 days), but you may be able to use time on jobseeker’s payment to help you qualify
  • Back to Work Family Dividend
  • Blind Pension
  • Carer's Allowance and Carer's Benefit (including half-rate Carer's Allowance)
  • Community Employment
  • Deserted Wife's Allowance and Deserted Wife's Benefit
  • Daily Expenses Allowance for 12 months or more
  • Disability Allowance
  • Disablement Benefit
  • Domiciliary Care Allowance
  • Farm Assist
  • Guardian's Payment (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
  • Illness Benefit for 12 months or more
  • Invalidity Pension
  • Job Initiative Scheme
  • Jobseeker's Allowance for 12 months (312 days or more)
  • Jobseeker's Transitional payment
  • Magdalene Commission Scheme
  • Death Benefit Scheme (under the Occupational Injuries Scheme)
  • One-Parent Family Payment
  • Partial Capacity Benefit
  • Rural Social Scheme
  • State Pension (Contributory) and State Pension (Non-Contributory)
  • Supplementary Welfare Allowance for 12 months (364 days or more)
  • Tús
  • Widow, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
  • Work Placement Experience Programme (if your primary payment is a qualifying social welfare payment)

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