Tag Archives: Budget 2023

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The national minimum wage is now €11.30 per hour.

Statements of terms of conditions of employment must now have information about probation periods. This must be included in the statement of core terms and conditions that employees must receive within 5 days of starting their job.

Statutory sick pay is now available for up to 3 days per year.

All adults can now get their second COVID-19 booster.

Changes in mortgage lending limits are now in place.

The amount of money you can earn and still qualify for local authority housing increased by €5000 per year on 1 January 2023.

The price limits for the First Home Scheme increased from 1 January 2023.

The Low Emissions Vehicle Toll Inventive Scheme, which refunds tolls for some electric cars have been extended to June 2023.

New fixed charge penalties are now in place for:

  • €200 for the misuse of a disabled parking permit
  • €80 for illegally parking in an electric charging bay
  • €200 for breaching an HGV ban and entering a specified public road without a permit

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All social welfare and tax pages  have been updated with 2023 rates and rules.

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The Christmas Bonus is normally paid in one lump sum. However, if you are getting Illness Benefit, your Christmas Bonus may be paid over 2 weeks between Tuesday, 6 December 2022, and Friday, 23 December 2022.

You can now apply for the Fuel Allowance online. There are also new Fuel Allowance means tests for over 70s which take effect from 2 January 2023.

If you have a Local Authority Home Loan, interest rates increased on 10 December 2022.

From 1 January 2023, the income limits for local authority/social housing will increase by €5,000 for all local authority areas.

If you were eligible for a free HPV vaccine but you did not get it, you can book a HPV vaccine catch-up appointment online.  This applies if you are:

  • Female and aged 16 to 25, or
  • Male aged 16 or older and you started your first year of secondary school (including  homeschool and special schools) in September 2019

From Friday 9 December, GPs will no longer refer their patients to a PCR test centre for COVID-19 tests. If you are a vulnerable patient, your GP can test you for COVID-19 at their clinic. If you have a medical card or GP visit card, the test is free. If you are a private patient, you will have to pay  €55.

If you cannot find an appropriate school for your child with special needs, new laws make additional provisions for your child. The Department of Education has published information for schools about providing for children with special education needs.

If you are doing an apprenticeship, you should check with your employer or local ETB if you are entitled to any allowances such as a tool allowance. You should also check if you qualify for employment tax credits and reliefs.

If you have changed gender and you want a name on your Gender Recognition Certificate that is different to the name  on your birth certificate, you no longer need to show that you have used your name for 2 years or changed your name by a deed poll.

New European Union laws have come into effect and mean that sale prices must also show the prior price. The prior price is the lowest price the goods were on sale for in the 30 days before the sale.

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The Christmas Bonus will be paid with your normal social welfare payment from this week – 5 December 2022.  The Bonus is 100% of your normal weekly long-term social welfare payment.

If you have been getting Illness Benefit for 12 months or more, you will get a Christmas Bonus payment for the first time this year. Your Bonus will be paid between 6 December 2022 and 23 December 2022.

Following commencement of the Consumer Rights Act 2022 on 29 November 2022, the Consumer category has many new and revised pages including:

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Lump sum payments for the following schemes will be paid the week starting 14 November 2022: 

Residents of nursing homes can keep more of any rental income they get from their principal residence following changes to the Fair Deal Scheme.

You can now register to vote or update the register at any time of the year. New registrations and updates to the existing register can be made online at checktheregister.ie.

The call for the current Back for Business programme is now open. The closing date for receipt of completed application forms is 6 January 2023.

If you receive a summons to appear in court to face a criminal prosecution, you must now also receive written information about your rights.

The pilot Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme has bursaries available for members of the Traveller community to access apprenticeships.

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Most people on a weekly social welfare payment will get a double payment in the week beginning 17 October 2022. This is to help with the cost of living. People getting Illness Benefit do not get a double payment.  The Department of Social Protection has a list of payments that qualify for the double week.

There will be a double Child Benefit payment on 1 November 2022. This means you will get an extra €140 for each child in November. 

During the week starting 14 November 2022, a number of extra once-off payments will be paid: 

Carers who qualify for the Carer’s Support Grant will get a once-off payment of €500 the week starting 21 November 2022. 

The social welfare Christmas Bonus will be paid the week starting 5 December 2022. In 2022, the Christmas Bonus will be double your normal weekly long-term social welfare payment.

Applications for the SUSI student grant 2022/2023 close on Thursday, 3 November 2022. 

Planning permission is no longer needed for solar panels on the roof of your house as long as you meet certain conditions. 

You can now buy a digital stamp from the An Post app. 

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Budget 2023 was announced on 27 September 2022. You can read our summary of changes in:

You can also read a summary of the short-term measures that were announced to help people with the cost of living.

Vouchers for 3 free hot-desk days are available until 31 December 2022.

The COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit has now finished. If you have COVID-19 or have been advised to self-isolate you can apply for Illness Benefit.

Third COVID-19 boosters are now available if you are:

  • 65 or older
  • 12 or older with a weak immune system

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Budget 2023 will be announced on Tuesday 27 September 2022.

Public in-patient hospital charges for children up to 16 have been abolished.

You can buy a site from your local authority at a reduced price and build your home on it under the new  Ready to Build Scheme.

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