SVP Urges Government for €15 Weekly Welfare Increase, Disability Payment in Budget 2027
Despite a slight decline in poverty rates since 2024, vulnerable groups face increasing hardship. SVP urges the Government to implement a €15 weekly welfare increase, an €18 increase for older children, and a Cost of Disability Payment in Budget 2027. These measures aim to protect vulnerable households and reflect the real cost of living.
Consistent poverty rates in Ireland have shown a slight decline since 2024; however, this trend conceals escalating difficulties among vulnerable populations. These groups include lone-parent families, older individuals residing alone, and households where a member has a disability.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP), Ireland’s largest voluntary charitable organization, aims for an Ireland free from persistent disadvantage or hardship. In pursuit of this vision, the SVP is urging the Government to ensure that Budget 2027 safeguards the most vulnerable households and offers income supports that accurately reflect the current cost of living.
SVP volunteers gain unique perspectives through home visits, observing children living in cold homes, attending school hungry and fatigued, and missing out on routine activities their peers often take for granted. Volunteers also encounter older individuals compelled to reduce spending on heating and other essential needs. Complementing these observations, the SVP’s recently published Minimum Essential Standard of Living research provides clear evidence of the disparity between household incomes and the actual cost of meeting fundamental living requirements.
To address these challenges, the SVP advocates for Budget 2027 to include a €15 increase in weekly working-age social welfare payments, an €18 increase for children aged 12 and over, and the expansion of the Living Alone Allowance to encompass all one-adult households with children. Additionally, the organization proposes the introduction of a Cost of Disability Payment, targeted energy supports, and an increase in the National Minimum Wage from €14.15 to €15.40 per hour. These proposed measures are intended to significantly improve the lives of vulnerable households supported daily by the SVP, ensuring that all individuals possess the necessary income to live with dignity. The call comes from Louise Bayliss, Head of Social Justice and Policy at SVP, Dublin 1.