€133M in Social Welfare Payments: €17M for Funerals, €9.33M in 2024
The Department of Social Protection provided over €133 million in additional needs payments in 2024 and 2025, including over €17 million for funeral costs to about 4,900 people. Other payments covered clothing, bedding, furniture, accommodation, and urgent needs. The scheme is demand-led and discretionary.
Over the past two years, more than €17 million in emergency payments was provided to people struggling with funeral costs, part of over €133 million in additional needs payments by the Department of Social Protection in 2024 and 2025. About 4,900 people received burial assistance, totaling €9.33 million in 2024 and €7.86 million in 2025, with an average payment of around €3,500.
Other payments included €6.6 million for adult clothing (roughly €125 per payment in about 53,000 cases), €526,000 for bedding, €178,000 for children’s clothing, €52,000 for nappies, €241,000 for cots, €215,000 for confinement costs, and €1.295 million for floor coverings. The department allocated €9.11 million for furniture in 6,015 applications (average of about €1,500 per payment) and approximately €71 million for new accommodation "kit out" for welfare recipients.
Additional costs included €280,000 for gas/boiler replacement, €4.37 million for household appliances, €306,000 in hostel costs, €10,500 for bed and breakfast, €5.05 million for “insufficient means”, €257,000 for stolen/lost money, €900 for mortgage arrears, €740,000 for prams/buggies, and €160 each for a dozen newly released prisoners. Rent supports totaled €2.36 million (€1.37 million for arrears, €940,000 for deposits, €42,000 for advance rent).
Further payments included €2.1 million for repairs/maintenance, €640,000 in telephone costs, and €4.1 million in “urgent needs payments”. The department stated that the scheme is demand-led and payments are discretionary, based on legislation and relevant circumstances, and not intended to cover responsibilities of other government departments or agencies.