The grant and Budget news that matters to Irish families, in plain English. Every item names its source, and nothing marked Hinted or Reported has been decided.
Budget 2027 was on Tuesday 6 October.Our Budget 2027 tracker shows where every topic stands, from the pension to the Fuel Allowance.
Confirmed The Government or a council has decided it.
Hinted A minister has said it is being looked at. Not decided.
Reported A newspaper reports it from sources. Not decided.
Asked for What charities and campaign groups want.
ConfirmedOlder people
First report on care for older people published, recommendations to follow
The Commission on Care for Older People published its first report on 30 October. It looks at how home support, residential care, dementia care and other health and social care services for older people work today. It does not change any payment, grant or service: the Commission makes its recommendations in the next stage, and no date was given for that.
Tipperary: vacant property grant payments pass €20.4 million
Tipperary County Council says it has now paid more than €20.4 million under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, helping to bring over 368 homes back into use. It has had 1,033 applications since the scheme opened in July 2022 and has approved 763, with the rest waiting on information from applicants or a first inspection. The council says funding remains available and applications are still being accepted.
SUSI student grant: closing date is Thursday 5 November
Citizens Information says the closing date to apply for the Student Grant Scheme for 2026 to 2027, the SUSI grant, is midnight on Thursday 5 November 2026. The scheme has maintenance grants towards living costs and fee grants, which can cover tuition fees, the student contribution and essential field trips for students who qualify. The means test, the course and progress from the last level of study all count.
Pyrite scheme closes to new applications on 30 November
The Pyrite Resolution Board says the Pyrite Remediation Scheme will close for applications on 30 November 2026, and calls it the last chance for homeowners with the minimum level of damage to the ground floor to apply. The scheme covers homes in nine council areas, and you need a building condition assessment before you apply.
Vacant property grant: 2,260 applications withdrawn so far
The Minister for Housing told the Dáil on 20 October that 2,260 applications have been withdrawn, either by the applicant or by the council when the documents it asked for were not sent. Of almost 20,000 applications to the end of September, 15,300 were approved and 747 refused. The Department is also looking at opening the Vacant Above the Shop Grant to small companies, with that work due to finish by the end of March 2027.
Battery grant: no new BER needed for a battery on its own
Energy Minister Darragh O'Brien told the Dáil on 20 October that if you fit a battery on its own with SEAI's €600 grant, you do not need a BER after the work. You do need one if the battery goes in with solar panels, new or already on the roof, and SEAI's battery page says the same. He also said there are no plans to pay grants for solar panels fitted before SEAI approved the grant.
€500 cost of disability payment due January to March 2027
The Minister for Social Protection told the Dáil on 20 October that the €500 lump sum will be paid between January and March 2027 to about 240,000 people on Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension or Partial Capacity Benefit. No exact date has been given. It is only for those working-age payments, so people on the State Pension do not get it, even if they moved over from Disability Allowance at 66.
Vacant property grant: 7,162 homes now back in use
The Department of Housing says the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant has helped bring 7,162 vacant and derelict homes back into use, with over €396 million paid since 2022. Almost 20,000 people have applied and more than 15,000 have been approved. Another 809 homes were finished between July and September 2026, and 78 people have applied for the newer Vacant Above the Shop Grant.
Finance Bill published: 7% Derelict Property Tax set out
The Department of Finance published the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2026 on 19 October. From January 2027, councils will identify derelict properties in towns of 4,000 people or more, and owners will have to pay a tax of 7% of the property's value by June 2028 unless they put the property right. The Bill also makes the €35,000 Help to Buy limit law, for new homes bought from 7 October 2026. It still has to pass the Dáil and Seanad.
Rent-a-room relief rises to €16,000 from January 2027
The Finance Bill raises the tax-free limit for renting out a room in your own home from €14,000 to €16,000 a year from 1 January 2027, the Department of Finance says. It also extends the relief to a small modular home of 32 to 45 square metres in your garden, if it was installed after 27 July 2026 and meets the 2026 planning rules. This is a tax rule: if you get a means-tested payment, ask the Department of Social Protection how room rent is counted.
If you take your Fuel Allowance as two lump sums, the January 2027 payment will be €602, up from €532, Citizens Information says. Weekly payments go up from €38 to €43 in the week beginning 4 January 2027. This answers how lump-sum takers get the Budget 2027 rise.
Septic tank grant: Areas for Action replace the old priority areas
The Department of Housing updated its septic tank grants page on 14 October with 2026 terms and conditions for all three grants. Regulations signed on 20 August 2026 widen the second scheme from Prioritised Areas for Action to Areas for Action, which now take in Priority Areas for Action, Local Authority Areas for Action and Public Health Areas for Action such as drinking water sources and bathing waters. The letter that lets you apply comes from the River Basin Management Service, the body that used to be called LAWPRO, or from the council, and you cannot ask for one. All three schemes are described as targeted, with no automatic entitlement, and work must not start before the council's written approval, or before the council's visit on the inspection route. The grant itself is unchanged: 85% of the approved cost, up to €12,000.
Wider Fuel Allowance limit also opens free Warmer Homes upgrades
From January 2027 the Fuel Allowance income limit for a single person aged 66 or over rises from €534 to €640.80 a week, the Department of Social Protection says. Fuel Allowance is one of the payments that lets you apply for the free Warmer Homes Scheme, so more older people living alone may now qualify for both, as Newstalk pointed out on 13 October. You also need to own and live in a home built and occupied before 2006, and Citizens Information says to wait 5 to 6 weeks after your first payment before you apply.
Monaghan County Council's housing grants page carries a notice that new applications for the Housing Adaptation Grant, the Mobility Aids Grant and Housing Aid for Older People are paused, other than Priority 1 cases. The same page also has an older line saying applications are accepted, so ring the Housing Grants Office on 047 30503 before you apply.
State Pension up €10 to €309.30 a week from January
The Department of Social Protection confirms that core weekly welfare rates rise by €10 from January 2027. The full State Pension (Contributory) goes from €299.30 to €309.30 a week, and the State Pension (Non-Contributory) from €288 to €298.
The Department of Social Protection confirms the Living Alone Increase rises from €22 to €25 a week in 2027, the first rise in five years. Earlier reports of €5 were wrong. It is not added automatically: you apply on form LA1.
The Department of Social Protection confirms the rise from January 2027, for about 460,000 homes. From January the income limit for a single person aged 66 or over also goes from €534 to €640.80 a week, and Minister Dara Calleary said about 10,000 more people will qualify. There is no lump sum on top.
€500 cost of disability payment in 2027, month not set
The Department of Social Protection confirms a one-off €500 payment in 2027 for people on Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension or Partial Capacity Benefit, about 240,000 people. It has not said which month. Reports of January or February are not official yet.
Carer's Allowance up €10, higher income limit from July
Carer's Allowance rises to €280 a week, or €318 at 66 or over, from January 2027. From July 2027 the weekly income disregard rises to €1,150 for a single person and €2,300 for a couple, the Department of Social Protection confirms. The €2,000 Carer's Support Grant stays the same.
Child support on welfare up €6; Child Benefit stays €140
The payment for each child of a parent on welfare rises to €64 under 12 and €84 for 12 and over from January 2027. Working Family Payment income limits rise by €30 a week. Child Benefit stays at €140 a month, the Department of Social Protection confirms.
Childcare: most you pay for 45 hours falls to €550 a month
From September 2027, in services in the State Core Funding scheme, the most a parent pays for 45 hours a week for a child up to senior infants drops from €735 to €550 a month, the Department of Children says. The universal subsidy rises from €2.14 to €2.50 an hour, and the €34,000 income threshold for the highest subsidy rises to €38,500.
Budget 2027: Care and Repair to open in five more places
Budget 2027 gives €627,500 to Age Action's Care and Repair scheme, which does small repairs and maintenance jobs so older people can stay safely at home, to open five new service locations, the Department of Health says. It also pays for five more Healthy Age Friendly Homes coordinators, €2 million more for Meals on Wheels and a new €2 million grant scheme for community groups that help older people. The Department has not said where the new locations will be.
Christmas Bonus confirmed: 100%, paid from 7 December
About 1.4 million people on long-term welfare payments, including pensioners and carers, get a 100% Christmas Bonus, the Department of Social Protection confirms. Citizens Information says it is paid in the week starting 7 December 2026.
€40m for rural water in 2027, including 4,000 wells and septic tanks
The Department of Housing says €40 million in 2027 will fund over 600 rural water projects and over 4,000 private wells and septic tank systems. The Local Improvement Scheme for private roads gets €17 million in 2027, the Department of Rural and Community Development says.
New HSE checker shows if you may get a GP visit card or medical card
The HSE has added a calculator to MyMedicalCard.ie that gives you an idea of whether you may qualify for a GP visit card or a medical card, and points you to the right way to apply, the Department of Health says. Only about 40% of the half a million people who became eligible for a free GP visit card in 2023 have applied for one.
Pension kept for 10 weeks after a death, up from 6
The Taoiseach told the Dáil on 7 October that the period for keeping a deceased person's pension will rise from six weeks to ten. No start date has been given, and it is not yet in the Department of Social Protection's Budget documents.
The student contribution is cut permanently from €2,500 to €2,350, Citizens Information says. SUSI maintenance grants rise by 4.5% from January 2027. From September 2027, families with two or more in college and income up to €150,000 get a €500 student contribution grant for each student, the Department of Further and Higher Education says. Earlier reports of €750 off per student were not what was announced.
Revenue says the higher Help to Buy limit of €35,000 applies to applications from 7 October 2026 to 31 December 2029, for new homes. The €500,000 price cap is unchanged.
The Department of Health says Budget 2027 funds 1.8 million more home support hours next year, and 500 more people on the Fair Deal nursing home scheme. Medical card limits, prescription charges and the €80 Drugs Payment Scheme threshold do not change.
Louth still only taking urgent home grant applications
Louth County Council's Chief Executive's report of 7 October says the grants section is not accepting new applications, except Priority 1 emergency cases, with 263 applications waiting. The council's own grants page no longer mentions the pause.
€654.5 million for SEAI home energy grants in 2027
Jack Chambers announced in his Budget speech a record €654.5 million in 2027 for SEAI home and community energy upgrade schemes. He said this will pay for more solar panels, better renewable energy and retrofit grants, and a boiler scrappage scheme. New grant amounts were not given in the speech as reported by RTÉ.
New Vehicle Adaptation Scheme to launch, Chambers says
Jack Chambers said in his Budget speech that the €5.5 billion for the Department of Transport will cover the launch of the Vehicle Adaptation Scheme. Who can apply, how much it pays and when it opens were not given in the speech as reported by RTÉ.
Budget size: €1.65 billion of tax changes and €7 billion of spending
Simon Harris announced tax changes of €1.65 billion, €150 million more than expected, as extra help with energy prices, RTÉ reports. New spending measures stay at their ceiling of €7 billion, RTÉ says.
Help to Buy confirmed at up to €35,000 for first-time buyers
Simon Harris announced in his Budget speech that the most a first-time buyer can claim under Help to Buy will rise by €5,000 to €35,000. The start date was not given in the speech as reported by RTÉ.
New 7% Derelict Property Tax to be set up in the Finance Bill
Simon Harris announced in his Budget speech that the law for a new Derelict Property Tax will be in this year's Finance Bill, at a rate of 7%. If you own a vacant or derelict home, the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant may help with the cost of bringing it back into use. The start date was not given in the speech as reported by RTÉ.
Pensioners who lose a partner: payment to run for 10 weeks, not 6
When a pensioner loses their partner, the payment will be extended from six weeks to ten weeks, RTÉ's political correspondent reported before the speeches, as a measure from Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary. No start date has been given yet. We will mark it confirmed when a minister announces it or it appears in the Budget documents.
Fuel Allowance means test limit to rise to €641 a week for over-66s
The Fuel Allowance means test limit for single people aged over 66 will rise from €534 to €641 a week, RTÉ reports, so more older people will qualify. RTÉ says the change applies only to single people over 66. No start date has been given yet. We will mark it confirmed when a minister announces it or it appears in the Budget documents.
Harris: carbon tax on kerosene and gas cut to €48.50 a tonne
Simon Harris announced in his Budget speech that the carbon tax on kerosene and natural gas will be cut to €48.50 a tonne, not €48 as reported this morning. He said the rates had been due to rise to €78.50 by May next year, and the lower rates will stay for the lifetime of this Government. The start date was not given in the speech as reported by RTÉ.
Petrol and diesel excise cuts to stay in full until 28 February
Simon Harris told the Dáil the reduced excise rates on petrol and diesel will stay fully in place until 28 February 2027. After that, excise will go back up in four phases, with the full rate not back until 30 June 2027. The reduced NORA levy is extended to 31 December 2026.
Confirmed: €1.3 billion tax package, 40% rate starts at €46,500
Simon Harris announced a €1.3 billion income tax package in his Budget speech. It confirms this morning's reported changes: the 40% rate starts at €46,500, the main tax credits rise by €125 and the home carer tax credit by €100. The point where the 3% USC rate starts also rises by €1,600, from €28,700 to €30,300.
Solar homes: tax-free limit on selling power to the grid up to €600
Households that sell electricity back to the grid, for example from solar panels, will be able to earn €600 a year tax free, up from €400, Simon Harris announced in his Budget speech. The start date was not given in the speech as reported by RTÉ.
Living Alone Increase to rise by €3 to €25, not €5
The Living Alone Increase will go up by €3 a week to €25, RTÉ and the Irish Examiner reported this morning. Earlier reports had said €5. Not official until the Budget is read out this afternoon.
Fuel Allowance: €5 rise for 460,000 homes, and a means test change
The Fuel Allowance will rise by €5 a week, and 460,000 households will benefit, RTÉ reports. The Irish Examiner says the means test will also change for single people over 66, but has not given the detail. Not official until the Budget is read out this afternoon.
€500 cost of disability payment in January, for 238,000 people
The new cost of disability payment will be one lump sum of €500, paid in January 2027, RTÉ reports, and 238,000 people will get it. RTÉ says work will continue on how it is paid in later years. Who qualifies has not been set out yet. Not official until the Budget is read out this afternoon.
Carer's Allowance income limit to rise to €1,150 a week
The weekly income disregard in the Carer's Allowance means test will rise to €1,150 for a single person and €2,300 for a couple, the Irish Examiner reports. RTÉ says it is €1,000 and €2,000 now, and that the home carer tax credit will also rise by €100. Not official until the Budget is read out this afternoon.
Carbon tax on home heating oil and gas to be cut, RTÉ reports
The carbon tax on home heating oil and gas is expected to be cut to €48 a tonne, from €63.50 now, RTÉ reports. RTÉ and the Irish Examiner also say there will be no more carbon tax rises on kerosene for the rest of this Government's term. Not official until the Budget is read out this afternoon.
Childcare capped at €550 a month, and child support up €6
Childcare for children up to senior infants will be capped at €550 a month, which could save families up to €2,200 a year, RTÉ reports. The income limit for free childcare will rise from €34,000, child support payments will rise by €6, and childminders will be able to earn €20,000 a year tax free, up from €15,000. Not official until the Budget is read out this afternoon.
Income tax: higher rate band to €46,500, tax credits up €125
The point where you start paying the 40% rate will rise by €2,500 to €46,500, and the personal, employee and earned income tax credits will rise by €125 to €2,125, RTÉ reports. RTÉ says a single person on €50,000 would be €750 a year better off. Not official until the Budget is read out this afternoon.
Help to Buy to rise to €35,000, for new homes only
Help to Buy, the tax refund for first-time buyers of a new or self-built home, will rise by €5,000 to €35,000, RTÉ and the Irish Examiner report. The Examiner says a plan to scrap stamp duty for first-time buyers of older homes was dropped. Not official until the Budget is read out this afternoon.
College fees: a €150 cut for all students, the Examiner reports
Budget 2027 will include a €150 universal cut in third-level fees, the Irish Examiner reported this morning. Earlier reports focused on €750 off per student for families with two or more in college. The full detail comes this afternoon.
There is no energy credit in any Budget 2027 document. Help with heating costs comes through the €5 Fuel Allowance rise and the carbon tax cut on home heating oil and gas.
Tax: standard band to €46,500, credits up €125 from January
From 1 January 2027 the standard rate band for a single person rises from €44,000 to €46,500, the personal and employee tax credits rise to €2,125, and the home carer credit rises to €2,050, the Department of Finance says. The 3% USC rate starts above €30,300.
Derelict Property Tax: first registers September 2027
The Department of Finance says councils will publish the first registers of derelict property on 1 September 2027, and the first tax is due by 23 June 2028. The rate is 7% of the self-assessed value, starting with 107 towns of 4,000 people or more.
€169 million for council home adaptation grants in 2027
The Department of Housing says €169 million is allocated to the housing adaptation grant schemes for 2027. The most you can get does not change: up to €40,000 for the Housing Adaptation Grant, €8,000 for the Mobility Aids Grant and €10,700 for Housing Aid for Older People.
Vehicle Adaptation Scheme: €6.5m, opens early 2027
The new scheme pays for adaptations so people can get into, out of or drive a vehicle. The Department of Transport says it opens early in 2027, is not means tested, and nobody pays upfront, because approved suppliers are paid directly. It gets €6.5 million in 2027 and does not replace the Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme.
Carbon tax cut on heating oil and gas starts 14 October
The Budget Financial Resolutions cut the carbon charge on kerosene from €160.81 to €122.83 per 1,000 litres, and on natural gas, from 14 October 2026. That is €48.50 a tonne of carbon, not the €48 reported on Budget morning.
Free Warmer Homes upgrades now include solar panels and a battery
The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment says solar panels and a battery are now offered as standard under the free Warmer Homes Scheme, from 6 October. Citizens Information says panels up to 4 kWp and a battery up to 5 kWh. SEAI's own Warmer Homes page had not listed them yet on 11 October.
Family Carers Ireland: Budget falls short, scrap the means test
Family Carers Ireland says Budget 2027 falls short for family carers, and that keeping the Carer's Allowance means test was a missed opportunity. It says only 4% of people on Carer's Allowance get Fuel Allowance, so most carers will not see the €5 rise. It wants the Carer Guarantee fully funded, so carers can get information, training and respite.
ALONE says the €3 Living Alone rise is a fifth of what it asked for
ALONE says Budget 2027 falls short for older people living alone. It asked for the Living Alone Increase to go up by €15 a week, and it rises by €3. ALONE says up to 80,000 older people living alone are in poverty, and anyone worried about this winter can ring its support line on 0818 222 024, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.
€10 pension rise now expected, not €7.50, RTÉ reports
The Government looks set to agree a €10 rise in the State Pension and core welfare payments, moving on from an earlier plan for €7.50, RTÉ reported on 3 October. The Irish Examiner says pension and other welfare rates will go up by €10 a week, though this was still being negotiated on Sunday evening, and the Irish Times also expects €10. That would take the full contributory pension to €309.30 a week, but it is not official until Budget day.
Fuel Allowance: €5 a week rise agreed, the Irish Examiner reports
A €5 a week rise in the Fuel Allowance has been agreed, rather than a lump sum, the Irish Examiner reported on 5 October. That would take it from €38 to €43 a week, and the Irish Times also expects the €5 rise. RTÉ reported on 4 October that a €300 one-off payment to people on the Fuel Allowance was possible as well, so the full package will not be known until Budget day.
Cost of disability payment: €500 lump sum understood to be agreed
The new cost of disability payment will be one lump sum of €500, not a monthly payment, the Irish Examiner reported on 5 October. The Irish Times also says a €500 payment is understood to be agreed, and RTÉ reported on 3 October that more than €400 a year had been largely agreed. Who qualifies has not been confirmed, and it is not official until Budget day.
€600 battery grant and wider solar grant open on 6 October
SEAI says its new €600 grant for a home battery of 5kWh or more opens for applications at 5pm on Tuesday 6 October. From the same day, the solar panel grant of up to €1,800 opens to homes built and lived in before 2025, instead of before 2021. You must have SEAI's grant offer before any work starts.
Up to €9,000 for solar and a battery opens to some homes on welfare
SEAI says the new grant of up to €9,000 for solar panels and a battery, for homeowners on certain welfare payments, opens at 5pm on Tuesday 6 October. The Department of Climate lists Fuel Allowance, Working Family Payment, One-Parent Family Payment, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Carer's Allowance if you live with the person you care for, and Jobseeker's Allowance or Disability Allowance for over six months with a child under seven. The Department says full terms and conditions will follow.
€2,000 boiler scrappage grant is now part of the SEAI heat pump grant
SEAI's heat pump page now includes a €2,000 boiler scrappage grant for taking out an oil or gas boiler, solid fuel or electric storage heating, in homes built and lived in before 2021, which brings the most you can get for a house to €14,500. SEAI says anyone with a heat pump application already in, including people waiting on payment, will get the €2,000 added automatically. This corrects our 29 September item, which said, based on RTÉ, that it would not start until early 2027.
College: €750 off fees per student for families with two in college
Families with two or more children in college and a household income under €120,000 would get €750 off the student contribution for each student, through SUSI, the Irish Examiner reported on 5 October. Families on €120,000 to €150,000 would get a new €500 grant per student, and SUSI maintenance grants would rise by 4.5%. A general cut in the €2,500 fee now looks unlikely, RTÉ and the Irish Times report.
Childcare could cost at least €1,000 a year less for young children
Full-time childcare for children up to senior infants looks set to cost at least €1,000 a year less per child, RTÉ reports, through a higher National Childcare Scheme subsidy and a lower cap on fees. The new rates would start in September 2027. The Irish Times says the most that creches and after-school services can charge is also due to be cut.
Petrol and diesel excise cuts expected to last until at least February
The excise cuts on petrol and diesel will continue for the rest of the year and are not expected to be reversed until at least February, the Irish Examiner reports. RTÉ also reports the cuts are set to be extended to next spring. Not official until Budget day.
Taoiseach expects the Christmas Bonus to be paid again this year
Welfare recipients and pensioners can expect a Christmas Bonus this year, the Taoiseach said on 3 October, the Irish Times and the Irish Examiner report. He said it is done every year and the Government is in a position to do it this year. It is not official until Budget day, and no payment dates have been given.
Taoiseach signals no more carbon tax rises on home heating oil
Stopping carbon tax increases on home heating oil for the rest of this Government's term is the 'direction of travel', the Taoiseach said on 3 October, the Irish Times and the Irish Examiner report. RTÉ says the same approach is being considered for gas, and that a VAT cut on gas is possible. Not official until Budget day.
Taoiseach stops short of ruling out an energy credit
The Taoiseach stopped short of ruling out an energy credit in the Budget, RTÉ reports. He said it had not been discussed in the talks so far, but he could not anticipate what might be put forward at the 11th hour. On 28 September RTÉ reported that he had ruled out a credit for every home.
A €10 pension and welfare rise is agreed, the Irish Times reports
A €10 increase in pension and welfare rates is among the few Budget measures already agreed between ministers, the Irish Times reports. That would take the full contributory State Pension from €299.30 to €309.30 a week. The Irish Examiner reported on 1 October that officials were told to plan for €8 to €10 across all payments, and the Taoiseach told the Dáil on 30 September that reports of only €7.50 "may not be accurate at all". Many welfare figures will not be final until Sunday or Monday, so this is not official until Budget day.
€500 towards college fees for families with more than one child in college
Families with more than one child in college are set to get a €500 grant towards the cost of college fees, after changes to the income limits were agreed, the Irish Times reports. A general cut in fees is still possible but unlikely, it says. Not official until Budget day.
Fuel Allowance: a €5 weekly rise or a lump sum, but not both
A permanent €5 rise in the weekly Fuel Allowance and a one-off lump sum are both on the table, but a senior figure told the Irish Times that only one would be approved. Sources mentioned a lump sum of €300 to €400, the Irish Times reported on 3 October. TheJournal says there will be an expansion of the Fuel Allowance aimed at older people. Not decided.
Kerry: over a quarter of vacant home grant applications fall away
Of 830 valid applications in Kerry for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, 28% either did not send the council the information it asked for in time or were withdrawn, Radio Kerry reports from the council's own figures. The council has approved 552, fully or in principle, and paid 195. It says it has made the form simpler and added a checklist for applicants.
Cost of disability payment now expected as one lump sum of €400 to €500
The new cost of disability payment is now expected to be one lump sum of between €400 and €500, paid early in the new year, the Irish Examiner reports, after the coalition leaders met the Social Protection and Public Expenditure ministers. The Irish Times also puts it at around €400 to €500 a year. Earlier reports said €40 to €50 a month. Who qualifies has not been confirmed.
Carer's Allowance income limit could rise again, but by less than last year
A rise in the income limit for Carer's Allowance is under consideration, the Irish Examiner reports, but it may not be as big as last year's, when the income disregard had its largest ever increase. Not decided.
The maximum income limits for social housing, which range from €30,000 to €40,000 for a single person depending on the council, will be raised, the Taoiseach made clear at a private Fianna Fáil meeting, the Irish Examiner reports. No new figures yet.
Donegal says it will drop the OT report for grab rails, showers and ramps
Donegal County Council's Director of Housing said the council will waive the occupational therapist report for basic mobility works such as grab rails, level-access showers and outdoor concrete ramps, Donegal Daily reports. An OT assessment is still needed for a stairlift, a vertical platform lift or a fixed hoist. No start date was given, and the council's own grants pages and forms did not say it yet when we checked on 12 October 2026, so ask the council before applying without a report.
Sligo: council not asking for more home grant money this year
Sligo County Council has told the Department of Housing it will not ask for more money for home adaptation grants this year, Minister of State Kieran O'Donnell told the Dáil on 1 October. Sligo has €2.8 million for 2026, but Priority 2 and 3 applications are still paused, and Deputy Eamon Scanlon said new ones are being returned. The Minister of State said the money is available if the council asks, and his officials will contact the council.
Taoiseach says carbon tax on home heating oil will be cut as far as EU rules allow
The Government will cut the carbon tax on home heating oil to the lowest level it can without having to compensate the EU, the Taoiseach told a private meeting of Fianna Fáil TDs, the Irish Examiner reports, citing several sources. The size of the cut is not known. Not official until Budget day.
The Government approved a new boiler scrappage grant today, RTÉ reports. It pays €2,000 towards swapping a fossil fuel heating system, like an oil boiler, for a heat pump or other renewable heating, in homes built before 2021. That is on top of the SEAI heat pump grant of up to €12,500, so up to €14,500 in total. Correction, 5 October: SEAI's heat pump page now includes the €2,000, and the Department says it is effective immediately for eligible applicants. People with a heat pump application already in get it added automatically.
€600 home battery grant approved, and the solar grant opens to newer homes
A new €600 grant for a home battery was approved today, RTÉ reports. It is the first time the State has paid towards a battery on its own. The SEAI solar panel grant of up to €1,800, and the solar water heating grant, will open to homes built and lived in before 2025. Up to now the cut-off was 2021. Both are due to open from 6 October, subject to the final arrangements, RTÉ reports.
Solar panels and a battery, worth up to €9,000, for some homes on welfare
Homeowners on Fuel Allowance, Working Family Payment, One-Parent Family Payment or Domiciliary Care Allowance, and some people on Jobseeker's Allowance, Carer's Allowance and Disability Allowance, will be able to get up to €9,000 towards a solar panel system and a home battery, RTÉ reports. The same systems will be fully paid for under the scheme for medically vulnerable homes. Homes rented under HAP and RAS will also get higher attic and cavity wall insulation grants. These are due to open from October, and SEAI will publish the details first.
Fuel Allowance payments start this week for 465,000 homes
The 2026/27 season started on Monday 28 September, paying €38 a week for 28 weeks or two lump sums of €532, the first this week and the second in January, the Department of Social Protection says. People who move from Disability Allowance or Blind Pension into work from 28 September keep it for up to five years. Late claims are not backdated, Citizens Information says.
Taoiseach rules out an energy credit for every home
The Taoiseach has ruled out the return of universal energy payments, RTÉ reports. Opposition parties are pushing for targeted credits, and Sinn Féin wants a €400 credit, which RTÉ says the Government is unlikely to agree to. This changes the picture from 19 September, when a one-off credit was back in favour with several ministers.
Cost of disability payment could be €40 to €50 a month
The new cost of disability payment is expected to be around €40 or €50 a month in its first year, and about 200,000 people who get State disability supports could qualify, the Irish Examiner reports. RTÉ reports it will be in the Budget, but its value and who qualifies still need to be confirmed.
Fuel Allowance season could be stretched into spring
RTÉ reports a likely €5 rise in the Fuel Allowance and a possible extension of the season into spring next year. Government sources have also talked about a potential bonus Fuel Allowance week.
Solar panel grant set to open to homes built up to 2025
The SEAI solar panel grant, worth up to €1,800, would be opened to homes built and lived in before 2025, TheJournal reports. Right now it is only for homes built before 2021. Energy Minister Darragh O'Brien is bringing the plan to Cabinet this week, and it is not approved yet.
RTÉ reports the Government is considering a €7.50 rise in the State Pension, which would take the non-contributory pension to €295.50 a week, or €305.50 at 80 and over. The Irish Examiner says all welfare payments are expected to rise by at least €7.50, and possibly by up to €10. No final decision has been made.
Cost of disability payment set to be lump sums, not weekly
A Department of Social Protection source told the Irish Times that a permanent cost of disability payment will come in with the Budget. It will not be weekly, and is likely to be paid as one or more lump sums over the year. The source said it will not meet the cost of disability, and RTÉ reports that the amount and who qualifies are still being worked out.
Fuel Allowance rise 'almost certain', a department source says
An increase in the Fuel Allowance is almost certain to be in the Budget, a Department of Social Protection source told the Irish Times. RTÉ understands a €5 rise, from €38 to €43 a week, is on the cards. The 2026/27 season starts on Monday 28 September.
Lower carbon tax on heating oil is 'an absolute consideration'
Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers told RTÉ radio that a continued lower rate of carbon tax on home heating oil is an absolute consideration for the Budget, the Irish Times reports. The Tánaiste told the Dáil there is a limit to what can be done on carbon tax without running into EU rules, the Irish Examiner reports. RTÉ puts 1,000 litres of heating oil at over €1,600 now, against about €900 last year.
A €600 grant for home batteries is set for the Budget
The Irish Times reports that households putting in solar panels would get an extra €600 grant for a storage battery, on top of the SEAI solar grant of up to €1,800. Energy Minister Darragh O'Brien says he will ask Cabinet to approve a battery grant on Tuesday 29 September. RTÉ also reports the €600 grant is expected.
Child support may rise more for under-fives, sources say
An increase in child support, paid with a welfare payment for each child, is expected, the Irish Times reports, and it may rise more for children under five. An increase is also expected in how much lone parents can earn and keep their full One-Parent Family Payment. A second tier of Child Benefit will not be announced this year, sources said.
Ministers are considering a boost to the Living Alone Increase
Ministers are considering a boost to the Living Alone Increase because of higher energy bills, Minister of State Seán Canney told the Irish Examiner. He would not say how much, as measures are still being costed. It is €22 a week now.
Tánaiste says petrol and diesel excise cuts will stay for winter
Tánaiste Simon Harris told the Dáil that certainty on excise for the winter is something the Government can do and will do, RTÉ reports. RTÉ says the Government is poised to extend the cuts, 32 cent a litre on diesel and 27 cent on petrol, until late February or early March. They had been due to start unwinding from 1 November.
€2,000 grant to scrap old oil boilers goes to Cabinet
Energy Minister Darragh O'Brien says he will ask Cabinet on Tuesday 29 September to approve a €2,000 grant to scrap oil and kerosene boilers, RTÉ reports. It would top up the heat pump grant of up to €12,500, for boilers near the end of their life. If approved, it would start in January 2027.
Progress flagged on scrapping the Carer's Allowance means test
Seán Canney, the de facto leader of the Independents in Government, has flagged progress towards abolishing the means test for Carer's Allowance, the Irish Times reports. Sources say no final decisions have been made on anything in the Budget yet.
Disability Federation wants the cost of disability payment delivered
The Disability Federation of Ireland is urging the Government to bring in the cost of disability payment in this Budget, the Irish Examiner reports. It wants a permanent weekly payment based on need, and estimates the extra cost of living with a disability at €488 to €555 a week.
Petrol and diesel excise cuts are due to end on 1 November
The cuts to excise on petrol and diesel are due to be unwound from 1 November, and RTÉ reports that they are now expected to be extended in the Budget. The cut costs the State about €100m a month.
Senior ministers confirm they will cut the cost of home heating oil
Senior Coalition figures have confirmed the Government will move to cut the cost of home heating oil, RTÉ reports. The Tánaiste and the Minister for Enterprise have both pointed to a cut in the carbon tax on kerosene rather than a VAT cut. CSO figures last week put home heating oil up 44% over 12 months.
RTÉ reports that a rise similar to last year's €10 on core social welfare payments is perhaps likely, and that the rates will not be settled until the last minute. The Coalition is said to be conscious of claims that pensioners went cold while energy companies made large profits.
Government sources accept a cut in tax on home heating oil as inevitable, the Irish Times reports. Officials warn that in the worst case a tank could cost €1,900 this winter, against €900 last year.
A return of one-off energy credits, in some form, is now favoured by a number of Cabinet ministers, the Irish Times reports. No decision has been made. On 7 September the Taoiseach said he could not see the capacity for credits for everybody.
Tánaiste Simon Harris is looking at increases to the Fuel Allowance that would reach a quarter of households, the Irish Times reports. It is €38 a week now. Budget increases are paid to people already getting it, so there is no reason to wait.
Five councils have paused or limited home adaptation grants
Kildare, Louth, Offaly, Cavan and Sligo are not taking every new application this year for the Housing Adaptation Grant, the Mobility Aids Grant and Housing Aid for Older People. Most still take Priority 1 cases, the most urgent ones. Offaly reopens on 1 February 2027. Check your county page before you apply.
Over 70? The Household Benefits Package has no means test
The Department of Social Protection is asking people to check if they qualify for the Household Benefits Package. It is worth up to €420 a year towards electricity or gas, plus a free TV licence. From age 70 there is no means test and you do not need to be getting a welfare payment.
The Fuel Allowance, paid to 470,000 households, looks set to go up by €5 a week to €43, the Irish Times reports. It is €38 a week now. Nothing is decided until Budget day.
The Irish Times finds it hard to see the main weekly rates rising by less than last year's €10. The Irish Examiner reported on 8 September that the Social Protection Minister had dampened expectations of another €10 rise. The State Pension (Contributory) is €299.30 a week now.
Extra payments for children in welfare households look likely
The Irish Times reports that promises on child poverty are likely to mean higher child support payments, the amounts paid with a welfare payment for each child, and possibly a wider Working Family Payment for lower income families.
The point where the 40% rate of income tax starts is set to rise from €44,000 to at least €46,000, the Irish Examiner reports. A move to €46,000 is worth €400 a year to people paying the higher rate.
Citizens Information confirms the 2026/27 season starts on Monday 28 September and runs for 28 weeks, at €38 a week. It is not backdated, so apply before it starts.
Cost of disability payment: the Taoiseach is pushing for it
The Taoiseach says the Government is pushing very strongly to include a first cost of disability payment in this Budget. No amount has been given, and on 19 September he said it will be challenging to bring in.
People with big monthly medicine bills are unlikely to see the Drugs Payment Scheme threshold come down, the Irish Examiner reports. A shingles vaccine programme is expected to be funded.
Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary says pensioners living on their own will be his focus in this Budget. That points to the Living Alone Increase, which is €22 a week now. No figure has been given.
ALONE wants at least €15 a week more on the Living Alone Increase and €15 a week more on the State Pension, at least €10 a week more on the Fuel Allowance with the season back to 32 weeks, and €15 a month more on the Household Benefits Package. Age Action wants the pension up €20 a week.
Defective blocks: new testing standard and a review of the scheme
The Housing Agency says a new national testing standard, I.S. 465:2026, has been published, and the Minister for Housing has started a statutory review of the Defective Concrete Blocks Act. If you have not had a grant decision yet, or asked for a technical review, you can go ahead under the new standard or wait for the review. Homes with finished or approved works are not affected.
The Department of Housing has announced €175m for the rural water sector for 2027 to 2029, for group water schemes and communities not connected to Uisce Éireann.
The Government has set a package of €8.5 billion: €7 billion of extra spending and €1.5 billion of tax measures. The Budget will be read on Tuesday 6 October.
Since July 2026 the weekly income disregard for Carer's Allowance is €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple, up from €625 and €1,250. More carers now qualify.
