Child benefit extension for 18-year-olds in school due in May
Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys to bring forward plan to extend child benefit for 18-year-olds in full time education by four months
Plans to extend child benefit payments to 18-year-olds still in education are being brought forward by the Government.
Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys has announced she will seek Cabinet approval to extend the payment for 18-year-olds in full time education or with a disability from May 1, 2024.
The measure the child benefit payment, currently €140 per month, extended until a child's 19th birthday due to the significant number of 18-year-olds who are still in second-level education.
Minister Humphreys is expected to inform her Cabinet colleagues this Tuesday, February 13, that her department is in a position to implement the measure four months early, bringing it forward from its original proposed date, September 2024.
She has estimated this will benefit around 60,000 families.
This measure is one of a number proposed in Budget 2024 to assist families with the rise in the cost of living.
It’s understood the minister intends to implement the measure by amending the Social Welfare and Civil Law Bill 2023 that is due before the Seanad this week.