Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2024
59. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the detail of the expansion of child benefit for over 18s in full-time education; if she will address how the scheme will apply to 18-year-olds who will turn 18 before 1 May 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7851/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra77. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if the expanded child benefit payments up to the age of 19 years includes those in third level education. [7785/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra107. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on plans to extend child benefit to those continuing in secondary education but who have turned 18 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7585/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank the Minister for her comprehensive response on the previous question.
This question relates to the expansion of child benefit to over-18s in full-time education. Will the Minister outline the changes to the House and address in particular what the technical response will be to people who turn 18 before 1 May of this year?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 59, 77 and 107 together.
Child benefit is a universal monthly payment made to families with children up to the age of 16. Currently, the payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 18th birthday where they are in full-time education or have a disability. In budget 2024, the Government decided to extend the payment of child benefit to 18-year-olds who are in full-time education or have a disability. This was one of my key priorities in the budget.
With many children now starting primary school at age five, together with the increase in pupils doing transition year, there has been an increase in the number of 18-year-olds still in secondary education. I believe the extension of child benefit to 18-year-olds in full-time education is a long-term change for the better and will support families across Ireland into the future.
This is a significant change to the child benefit scheme. It requires technical and operational changes before implementation.
We had originally provided that the change would take effect from September this year. However, I am very pleased that we are now able to bring in this important change from an earlier date and I have secured Government approval to do that. As a result, the measure will be brought in from 1 May. In the region of 60,000 children are expected to benefit from this measure annually. The additional estimated cost of bringing the commencement date forward to May is €21.6 million.
In the case of a child who turned 18 after May 2023 and who is still in full-time education, child benefit will be payable again from May 2024 up to their 19th birthday or until they leave full-time education, whichever is sooner. This might include his or her first year in university. As the measure comes into effect from 1 May, where a child turns 18 in the meantime, there will be no payment for any intervening period up to May 2024, which is the usual approach for changes to the social welfare system that take effect from a future date. The Department will be in contact with these recipients of child benefit over the coming months to advise of the next steps.
To clarify, if your child is in full-time education, be it secondary school or college, you will get the payment until he or she reaches the age of 19 providing he or she can prove he or she is in full-time education. If someone finishes secondary school in June and gets the form signed when he or she goes to college in September to say that he or she is still in either in secondary school or college, the payment will commence in September and it will be backdated for a couple of months in the intervening months. That has always been the case with child benefit because you know that you have to get it certified that your children are in full-time education. Some people have contacted me and told me that their child was 18 in January and they will not get the payment until May but if I had not done this, nobody would have benefitted so it would end at age 18. If I had left it to September, fewer people would have benefitted so in bringing it forward to May, the good news is that every family will benefit from May onwards. We all love to do these things sooner but this is a long-term change for the better. When I announced it last year in the budget, many were disappointed because they thought it was coming in straight away but now I have been able to bring it forward to May.
It is very positive news and I commend the Minister on her efforts to ensure that the scheme kicks in on 1 May. It is very welcome and I appreciate the clarification given tonight about a few aspects of it. Doing the sums, it is for the full 12 months for anyone who benefits. It is €1,680, which is a significant amount of money. It is very pertinent that it is happening now because many children are starting school at the age of five and doing the leaving certificate at the age of 18 and beyond whereas previously - certainly in my time - a lot of children might have started school at four so that is something that is relevant. On behalf of my constituents, I really appreciate the efforts made by the Minister and acknowledge the extra €21.6 million she found in the budget to ensure it kicks in on 1 May. It is one of these progressive things the Minister has achieved and I want to acknowledge it. It will be appreciated by people around the country because the year of the leaving certificate and the first year of college is a very expensive year for families so this money will be very useful.
This is something the Deputy was very keen for me to improve upon. Child benefit is one of the few tools at my disposal that I can use to support working families. As part of recent budgets, I prioritised the double payments and the lump sum payment on child benefit. As the Deputy noted, children are starting school later. Most children do not start school until they are five and then they do transition year so they are well into 18 before they are finished. I was talking to a woman the other day who told me that she uses child benefit to pay for the grinds for her daughter for the leaving certificate and she was delighted with the change. She is a working mother like most mothers and I am delighted that we were able to give her that bit of help. That is important too. We will have it ready for May and I am glad to be able to do that.
I quoted the figure of €1,680 per annum. I assume that in the event of there being bonus payments, the 18-year-olds will benefit from those payments in the same way as any other recipient of the scheme as well should they arise at any particular point. Is that correct?
Yes. If you are in payment, you will benefit from any of the double payments we had on child benefit last year. It is €140 per month per child and it is a welcome support to get. I know myself that child benefit covers many a bill or cost that comes into the house. When you are kitting out children for school, it does not matter whether they are 17 or 18. It will still cost the same amount of money to buy things like uniforms when you are getting them ready for school in September.
