Child benefit is the principal way the State assists families with the costs of raising children. It is paid in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years, or to the age of 18 in respect of children who are in full-time education or who have a disability. It was paid to 633,270 families in respect of 1.2 million children last month.
The Department invites child benefit applications by contacting the parents of new born children, following receipt of a notification of a birth registration from the General Registrars Office (GRO) or auto processes the payment for the new baby where child benefit is already in payment to the family.
Civil registration offices are fully operational following the HSE cyberattack earlier this year and arere-opening to allow parents to attend to register a birth, with some offices offering an appointment-based service. I understand that the HSE is working to address any residual backlogs that arose as a result of the cyberattack.
Regular updates on the birth registration issue are provided to all customer service teams, while the processing of the delayed birth registrations are prioritised by the Department as soon as they are received. Any arrears of payments due on claims are included with the first payment of Child Benefit.
My Department provides a number of supports which are available to migrant and vulnerable parents. The Daily Expenses Allowance is payable to all international protection seekers who reside in direct provision accommodation. It is payable at the rate of €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child.
Parents that have a right to access the labour market and are working, may establish entitlement to certain Social Welfare payments such as Jobseekers Benefit and Illness Benefit. People in that position who lost their work due to the pandemic will have received the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
Parents may also qualify for Urgent Needs or Exceptional Needs Payments under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
