AN URGENT warning has been issued to thousands of social welfare recipients as many did not receive their lump sum.
Thousands of recipients did not receive their €420 lump sum from the Child Benefit scheme – and here’s all the information that will help clear your confusion.
Throughout the week, those qualified for the New Baby Grant should have received €280 with an additional €140 payment from their first month of Child Benefit – which totals €420.
As part of the Budget 2025, the new Baby Grant is a payment of €280 per child, meaning if you have twins, you will be granted €560.
However, social welfare recipients should be aware that the €280 grant is a once-off payment in addition to the first month of Child Benefit, which is entitled to children born or adopted on or after December 1, 2024.
To get the new grant, you must be qualified for the Child Benefit scheme, which provides monthly payments to parents or guardians of children under the age of 16.
You must live in Ireland and meet the Habitual Residence Condition, or HRC, to be entitled to the scheme.
EU or EEA citizens working in Ireland automatically meet the HRC requirement.
And parents can also get the Child Benefit for children aged 16 up to 18 years old if they meet one of the requirements:
- They are in full-time education or full-time training
- They have a disability and can not support themselves
Full-time education includes primary and post-primary education, as well as third-level and further education and training courses.
However, full-time education does not include courses that are part of employment, apprenticeship or work experience programme or arise from employment.
It also does not include courses where the period of paid work experience is more than the time spent in the classroom; courses run by Teagasc where work experience is more than classroom time are also affected by this rule.
WHO CAN GET THE PAYMENT?
The payment are usually paid on the first Tuesday of every month.
The child’s mother or stepmother receives Child Benefit from the Department of Social Protection.
The father or stepfather can claim the payment if the child does not live with their mother or stepmother.
If you are the sole carer of a child who is not living with their parents or being maintained by them, you may be entitled to the payment.
If the child lives between two separate households, the Department of Social Protection pays the parent who lives with the child most of the time.
If the child lives an equal amount of time with each parent, the mother gets the payment.
The scheme provides a universal payment, meaning parents can get the extra cash regardless of their income and social insurance record.
If you have never received the payment before and recently had a baby, you will receive your first-ever payment at the start of the month after your child is born.
Many recipients didn’t receive their €420 lump sum from the Child Benefit scheme[/caption]