Budget 2027: New cost of disability payment to be delivered in one lump sum

As a result of that meeting, it is now expected that the new cost-of-disability payment will be in the range of €400 and €500 and will be paid out early in the new year.

Micheál Martin, Simon Harris, and Sean Canney have yet to settle on the exact amount that pensioners, jobseekers, and those in receipt of other social welfare payments will receive.  However, they have asked officials to go back and factor in a rise of between €8 and €10 across all supports.

This and other measures will be reviewed to ensure the changes fit within the overall allocation for social protection, before another round of talks on Friday. Sources have said that the total social protection package is close to sign-off.

The Independents in Government are also strongly pushing for changes to the Living Alone Allowance as part of cost-of-living measures and are seeking an adjustment to the income disregard to allow more people who live by themselves to access the fuel allowance.

Meanwhile, an increase in the Carers Allowance threshold is also under consideration, but it is understood that the rise may not be as high as last year.

Budget 2026 saw the largest ever increase in the carer’s allowance income disregard, with the new thresholds kicking in from last July. 

The disregard for a single person jumped from €375 to €1,000, while couples saw the disregard go from €750 to €2,000.