Crosscare welcomes several positive measures announced in Budget 2026, particularly the increases in core social welfare payments and the continued recognition of families facing the highest cost-of-living pressures.
We strongly welcome the €10 weekly increase to core social welfare rates, along with proportional increases for qualified adults and for children through the Child Support Payment. These increases respond to our call for welfare rates such as Jobseeker’s Allowance and Disability Allowance, though they fall short of our request that payments be indexed to better reflect the real cost of living and help reduce food poverty.
We also note the improvements to Working Family Payment, including the €60 weekly rise in income limits and its new qualification for the Fuel Allowance. These are positive steps towards supporting working families on low incomes and align with our recommendation to strengthen income supports that encourage employment and transitioning into work. We would once again call on the Department of Social Protection to expand the eligibility criteria for additional supports such as Living Alone Allowance and Household Benefits Package to those in receipt of One-Parent Family Payment to ensure that single parent families are not left behind.
On Rent Supplement, we regret that Budget 2026 did not include reform of the 30-hour rule. This remains a significant barrier for people seeking to take up additional work or move into full-time employment while maintaining housing stability. We continue to call on Government to introduce a more flexible approach that allows people to progress in employment without risking homelessness.
Regrettably, our call for an enhanced Additional Needs Payment scheme for individuals and families resident in IPAS centres to receive the equivalent of the Daily Expense Allowance on an ongoing basis until they are voluntarily removed or deported from Ireland was not part of Budget 2026. Now more than ever, we believe that more must be done to address the serious risk of destitution such individuals and families face whilst they await removal from the state.
Following our attendance at the post-budget briefing convened by the Department of Social Protection, we welcome continued funding of community food services and the commitment to tackle food insecurity. Our Food Community Services will continue to work with the Department to ensure that emergency provision is matched with long-term, casework-based support that helps people move out of food poverty sustainably.
As Ireland moves forward from Budget 2026, Crosscare remains committed to working with the Department of Social Protection to ensure that no individual or family is left behind and that social protection policies support pathways to security, inclusion, and dignity for all.
For full details of Budget 2026 see here.
