Around 638,000 families to receive double child benefit payment of €280

Some 638,000 families will receive a double child benefit payment of €280 this week.

The measure means that €280 will be paid in respect of 1.2 million children across the State, instead of the usual €140 payment.

The move was announced as part of the budget to help households pay for the soaring cost of living.

The payment will start arriving in accounts from Monday.

The double child benefit payment will cost the state a total of 170 million euro.

Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys confirmed the details during a visit to the Ballyroan Community and Youth Centre in Rathfarnham, Dublin.

It is the second of eight lump-sum payments, as part of a €1.2 billion package, designed to support families and the vulnerable over the winter months.

The first of three €200 energy credits will also appear on householders’ bills from this week.

Speaking during the visit, Ms Humphreys said: “I’m very pleased to announce that 638,000 families will receive a double child benefit payment this week to support them with the cost of living.

“This means that 280 euro will be paid in respect of 1.2 million children across the State.

“Child benefit is an extremely important income support that reaches hundreds of thousands of hardworking families.

“As Minister, I’m deeply conscious of the difficulties families are facing right now in meeting their bills.

“This double payment is one of eight-lump sum payments that I secured as part of the Budget to help households during this extremely challenging period.”

Ms Humphreys added: “The double child benefit payment will be received in people’s bank accounts beginning from today.

“It follows the autumn double payment last month, which supported 1.4 million pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and working families.

“And over the course of the next few weeks, I will be announcing the details of further lump sum payments to support people with their household bills.”

These will include the €400 lump sum fuel allowance payment, the 200 euro payment for people living alone, the €500 payment for carers, the €500 support for people with disabilities and the 500 euro payment for those in receipt of the Working Family Payment.

“These will be followed by the payment of the Christmas Bonus in December,” the Fine Gael minister added.

“This €1.2 billion package of lump sum payments is about helping families and our most vulnerable with the rising costs they are facing over the winter period.”

The child benefit payment is made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years.

The lump-sum payments were announced as part of last month’s social protection budget.