Budget 2027 was announced on Tuesday 6 October 2026. The headline: €10 a week more on pensions and welfare payments from January, €6 more per child on the Child Support Payment, the Fuel Allowance up to €43, and new tax bands and credits from 1 January 2027. Work out what it means for your household below, whether your money comes from a wage, a pension, a carer's payment or a welfare payment.
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Every Budget 2027 measure, and when it starts
All 149 measures, from the official Budget documents: Social Protection, Finance, the Budget in Brief, both Ministers' speeches, the Expenditure Report and the Department of Children.
Weekly social welfare payments
Pensions, carer's, disability, jobseeker's and one-parent payments all rise €10 a week. About 1.6 million people get one. Source
€309.30 a week, the first time over €300 (€319.30 aged 80 or over). Qualified adult: €206.10 under 66, €277.40 aged 66 or over. Source
€298 a week (€308 aged 80 or over). Qualified adult under 66: €196.80. Source
Carer's Allowance €280 under 66, €318 aged 66 or over. Carer's Benefit €281. Source
€264 a week, qualified adult €175.20. Jobseeker's Allowance under 25: €173.70. Source
€264 a week. Source
Illness Benefit €264 (qualified adult €175.20). Invalidity Pension €269.50 (qualified adult €192.50). Disablement Benefit €295. Source
€309 a week. Source
Contributory: €269.50 under 66, €309.30 aged 66 to 79, €319.30 aged 80+. Non-Contributory: €264. Source
€262 a week (€173.70 under 25 and not living independently). Source
€247 a week. Source
€64 a week under 12, €84 aged 12 or over. Source
For the State Pension (Contributory) and other social insurance payments, up from €310 to €340 a week. Source
100% bonus for about 1.4 million people on long-term payments. Jobseeker's Allowance, Illness Benefit and a few others need 12 months on the payment first. Source
Child Benefit stays €140 a month. Carer's Support Grant stays €2,000. Domiciliary Care Allowance is €380 a month. Bereaved Parent Grant €8,000. Source
Pensioners and people living alone
Up €5 to €43 a week, over €1,200 a season. Source
The income limit rises from half a couple's limit to 60%: from €534 to €640.80 a week, so more older people qualify. Source
Up €3 to €25 a week, the first rise in five years. Source
1.8 million more home support hours, plus more for Meals on Wheels, dementia services, care and repair and Healthy Age Friendly Homes. Source
Funding for 27,000 more people on pension schemes. My Future Fund (auto-enrolment) supports the future pensions of 835,000 workers. Source
Families, children and childcare
Up €6 a week per child: €64 under 12, €84 aged 12 or over. Source
Income limits up €30 a week for every family size, worth up to €18 a week. New limits: 1 child €795, 2 €896, 3 €997, 4 €1,088, 5 €1,214, 6 €1,330, 7 €1,466, 8+ €1,562. Source
You can earn €175 a week (up from €165) without it counting. Source
The most you pay for a full-time place for a child up to senior infants falls from €735 to €550 a month, a saving of over €2,200 a year. Source
The universal subsidy rises from €2.14 to €2.50 an hour for early years, junior and senior infants, about 107,000 children. Source
The most a Core Funding provider can charge for a full-time place falls from €280 to €250 a week. Source
The lower income threshold rises from €34,000 to €38,500, so more families get the maximum subsidy. Source
Access and Inclusion Model supports extended to children under three, about 1,000 children. Source
Continues for almost 100,000 children. Source
Becomes permanent, for over 40,000 children. Source
The Foster Care Allowance continues to the 19th birthday for young people in full-time secondary school: a new €125 payment to foster carers plus the €300 aftercare payment. Source
A new one-year aftercare allowance of €200 a week for care leavers still deciding on work or study. The aftercare grant rises from €300 to €500. Source
Tusla gets over €1.4 billion. 10 new Family Resource Centres (146 in all), therapy teams doubled from 6 to 12, and 322 more staff. Source
Better access for children. Source
Carers
Up €10 a week: €280 under 66, €318 aged 66 or over; Carer's Benefit €281. Source
Up €150 to €1,150 a week for a single person, and €300 to €2,300 for a couple. A couple earning €126,000 can get the full rate. Source
Not changed. You still cannot work or study more than 18.5 hours a week. Source
Up €100 to €2,050. Source
€15 million more, for 14,700 more respite sessions. Source
Stays at €2,000 a year. Source
Disabled people
A new €500 lump sum in 2027 for about 240,000 people on a long-term disability payment. A permanent payment is to be designed with disabled people. Source
You can earn €175 a week (up from €165) without it touching your payment. That's over €9,000 a year. Source
You only need 8 hours a week, not 15. It also opens to people moving from Illness Benefit to Partial Capacity Benefit. Source
Up €15,000 to €45,000 a year for employers. More Irish Sign Language and communication support hours under Work and Access. Source
489 more residential care packages and 1,500 new day service places. Source
212 new residential placements for disabled people (100 planned, 112 urgent), on top of the 9,000 funded now. Source
930 more frontline staff, 150 more staff for Children's Disability Network Teams, and two new Community Neuro-Rehabilitation Teams. Source
191,000 more hours for disabled people. Source
A new scheme to help people with mobility needs get adapted vehicles. Source
More grant work funded, so older and disabled people can stay in their homes. Source
Jobseekers and employment schemes
Top-up up €2.50 to €35 a week. Tús requalification drops from 3 years to 2. Source
Training payment up €25, from €115 to €140 a week. Source
Top-up up €5 a week. Source
Expanded to 500 places. Source
Your wages, income tax, USC and PRSI
Up €2,500: €46,500 single, €50,500 single parent, €55,500 married one income, up to €93,000 for two incomes. Source
Personal, Employee and Earned Income credits each up €125, from €2,000 to €2,125. Source
The Minister says someone on €50,000 pays over €700 less income tax and USC, and a two-income couple on €100,000 about €1,500 less. Source
The 2% band now runs to €30,300 (was €28,700). Bands: 0.5% to €12,012, 2% to €30,300, 3% to €70,444, 8% above. Under €13,000, no USC. Source
Up from €14.15 to €14.94 an hour. Source
Not new, but already agreed: 4.2% rises to 4.35% from 1 October 2026 and 4.5% from 1 October 2027. Source
The tax-free limit for minding children in your own home rises from €15,000 to €20,000, and the limit on how many children is removed. Source
Professional Services Withholding Tax moves from a flat 20% to a personal rate, and you can opt in to real-time reporting with Revenue. Source
Renting, buying and housing
Up €150 to €1,150 for a single person, and €300 to €2,300 for a couple, for 2027 and 2028. About 400,000 people claim it. Source
Maximum up €5,000 to €35,000 for first-time buyers. Source
Tax-free limit up from €14,000 to €16,000. Now also covers detached garden units of 32 to 45 square metres installed after 27 July 2026. Source
€1.01 billion for 8,500 homes through the First Home Scheme, vacancy grants, Affordable Purchase and Cost Rental, plus 1,010 affordable homes for sale. Source
€3 billion, including 11,250 new social homes. Source
About 56,000 tenancies, including more than 8,000 new ones. 110,000 households supported in all. Source
Emergency supports, with targeted help for families. Source
Over €750 million for adaptation grants, retrofitting social homes, defective concrete block and pyrite remediation, the start of the apartment defects scheme, and temporary accommodation. Source
A new tax of 7% of the property's value. Councils start work in January; preliminary registers are published on 1 September 2027. Source
Landowners get another chance to ask for rezoning, and can be exempt for 2027. Source
Local authorities can spend or borrow an extra €200 million a year. Source
€350 million for urban regeneration and €225 million for the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund. Source
€2.3 billion for Uisce Éireann. Source
€40 million for rural water schemes, private wells and septic tanks. Source
Petrol, diesel, heating and energy bills
The temporary cut stays fully in place until 28 February 2027. It then comes back in four steps (28 February, 8 April, 1 May, 30 June): 25c a litre on petrol, 30c on diesel. Source
The rise from €71 to €78.50 a tonne moves from 14 October 2026 to 1 May 2027: about €1.28 more on a 60-litre fill of petrol, €1.48 on diesel. Next rise 13 October 2027. Source
Carbon tax cut from €63.50 to €48.50 a tonne and held there for the life of the Government: about €43 less on 1,000 litres of kerosene and €32 less on a typical year of gas. Source
A double carbon tax rise on 1 May 2027, from €63.50 to €78.50 a tonne. Source
Carbon tax rise moved to 1 May 2027; 5.4c a litre of excise returns on 28 February 2027. Source
The reduced NORA levy and the enhanced Diesel Rebate Scheme run to 31 December 2026. Source
Road Transport Support Scheme extended two months (€73 million). Fuel Income Support for farmers, contractors, horticulture and fishing extended five months (€31.2 million). Source
A record €654.5 million. From 6 October 2026: a €2,000 boiler scrappage grant, solar panels and battery as standard under the free Warmer Homes Scheme, and bigger solar and insulation grants for some welfare recipients and HAP and RAS homes. Source
The tax-free amount you can earn selling electricity to the grid rises from €400 to €600. Source
None this year. The help is through the Fuel Allowance. Source
Cars and transport
VRT relief extended two years, to the end of 2028. Source
Up 1% for cars over 80g/km of CO2 (bands 3 to 20). Source
€5.5 billion for Transport: more and new services, rural transport, DART+, BusConnects, Cork commuter rail. An extra €6 billion for MetroLink from 2027 to 2030. Source
Adare Bypass, Galway Ring Road and the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy among the road projects funded. Source
Cigarettes, vapes, betting and alcohol
Up €1 on a pack of 20, with matching rises on other tobacco. Source
E-liquid tax up 20c a millilitre, to 70c before VAT. Source
A new 25% charge on the commission on tote and pool bets (on-course bets exempt). Source
No change in the Department of Finance tax document. Source
Savings, investments, inheritance and pensions
Opens 1 July 2027 for Irish residents 18+. A flat 1% a year only on the value above €50,000, up to €12,000 a year in, no minimum, no deemed disposal, and the provider handles the tax. Example: €52,000 in the account means €20 tax. Source
On Irish and equivalent offshore funds (including ETFs) and life assurance policies: down from 38% to 35%. Source
Down from 33% to 31% on sales from 7 October 2026. Development land stays at 33%. Source
Tax-free thresholds rise: Group A (usually children) €400,000 to €420,000, Group B €40,000 to €44,000, Group C €20,000 to €22,000. Rate stays 33%. Source
Ireland State Savings products continue, 100% State-guaranteed. Source
New factors for valuing defined benefit pensions. Source
Schools, college and training
Up €17 million: primary up €68 to €342 a pupil, post-primary up €40 to €446. Source
€56 million more: 2,339 more SNAs (28,000 in all) and 1,353 more special education teachers. Source
€33 million more, for about 180,000 children a day. Source
€2 million more for DEIS Plus and 100 more Home School Community Liaison coordinators. More deputy principals. Source
€1.6 billion, including special education places and a second Climate Action Summer Works round. Source
A permanent €150 cut. Source
New and enhanced student contribution fee grants for families with more than one child in higher education. Tax relief on fees for a second student is lined up with the new fee. Source
Up 4.5%, for up to 54,000 students. Source
A €360 million three-year National Training Fund package (€150 million for skills including AI), more apprenticeships, and 1,420 more places in health and social care courses. Source
Nurturing Skills Learner Fund rebates become tax-free. Source
Health and mental health
€29.1 billion, with €1.6 billion more for day-to-day services. Source
Extended to people aged up to 37. Source
Reform of GP services, including better access to out-of-hours GP care. Source
Early intervention and crisis supports, new ADHD pathways in CAMHS, 33,000 more hours of free counselling, and Traveller suicide prevention. Source
€1.7 billion for health buildings: the National Maternity Hospital move, surgical hubs, elective hospitals in Cork, Galway and Dublin, and more beds. Source
The Budget documents do not mention any change to medical card limits or prescription charges. Source
Farmers, fishing, rural Ireland and the islands
€7,500 from agri-environment schemes ignored in the means test (was €5,000), more schemes ignored, and seaweed income ignored up from €1,270 to €2,500 a year. Source
To be put on a legal footing, like Farm Assist. Source
Tax credit doubles from €5,000 to €10,000, and the three-year holding rule goes. Source
Up from 4.5% to 4.8%. Source
The 50% a year capital allowance is extended to the end of 2029, with 12 more items added. Source
VAT on injected respiratory vaccines for livestock drops from 23% to 9%. Source
€31 million new Fertiliser Scheme, €22 million National Sheep Welfare Scheme, €21.6 million more for water quality partnerships, €4 million more for straw incorporation, €8.4 million for animal welfare, €20 million more for fishing. Source
€208 million for rural development, €11 million more for LEADER, €5 million for the Community Services Programme, €161 million for the Gaeltacht and islands. Source
Living on a specified island: up €5 to €25 a week. €1.5 million more for island transport. A new pier at Inis Oírr. Source
Business, employers and the self-employed
The employer PRSI threshold rises from €552 to €600 a week, saving €650 to €700 a year per employee below it. Source
€15 million for a scheme to help pubs stay open, to be designed in the coming weeks. Source
Start-up company relief extended to the end of 2030. EII, Start-Up Capital Incentive, SURE and Angel Investor relief to continue. €3 million for Startup Ireland. Source
A €1 billion programme to grow the next generation of large Irish companies. Source
Subcontracting limits up (15% to 20%, €100,000 to €200,000), first-year payment threshold up from €87,500 to €105,000, and a new wage-cost enhancement. Source
Extended five years, to 2032. Source
Small company limit up from €200,000 to €350,000, with more flexible top-ups. Source
Option to report tax-free payments by the 14th of the following month. Source
Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme, Local Enterprise Offices, tourism marketing, the National AI Office, and €29.6 million for the European Space Agency. Source
Pillar Two minimum tax rules amended. Bank Levy continues for 2027 (€200 million). Source
Charities' VAT compensation fund up from €10 million to €15 million. Heritage donations limit up from €8 million to €12 million. Source
Gardaí, defence, culture, sport and public services
Up to 1,000 trainee Gardaí (force over 15,000). €5.3 million more for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services including Cuan. More for prisons, courts, youth justice and cyber security. Source
€1.6 billion. 850 new Defence Forces members, new helicopters and military radar. Source
A public warning system so alerts can be sent to mobile phones. Source
€15 million for the post office network. Source
You can fill it in online for the first time. Source
€153 million for OPW flood schemes. Source
€34.4 million for a full year of the Basic Income for the Arts, record Arts Council funding, and the Fleadh Ceoil in Belfast. Source
€121 million for Sport Ireland: €4 million for League of Ireland academies, €1 million more for intercounty Gaelic players, €1 million for hurling and camogie academies, and about €22 million for the Ryder Cup and Euro 2028. Source
€170 million for climate action, including €25 million for Just Transition in the Midlands, and €47 million to clean up waste sites. Source
€200 million Shared Island Fund (Narrow Water Bridge, Ulster Canal, Ulster University), Dublin–Belfast–Derry rail upgrades, and €855 million for Irish Aid. Source
The big picture
€125.6 billion of voted spending, including €20.3 billion of capital investment. Source
€1.3 billion of income tax cuts. Source
A €9.5 billion surplus in 2027, and an extra €1 billion into the Future Ireland Fund. Source
No energy credit
There is no universal energy credit in Budget 2027. The help with energy costs goes through the Fuel Allowance instead: up €5 to €43 a week from January 2027, which is over €1,200 across the season. Single people aged 66 or over also get a wider means test: their income limit rises from half of a couple's limit to 60%, so more older people living alone will qualify.
The catch about the tax cuts
The 20% band rises by €2,500, to €46,500 for a single person. That is only worth anything if you earn more than €44,000, because none of your income is taxed at 40% otherwise. Everyone who pays income tax does get the credit rise: €125 on the personal credit and €125 on the employee credit, so up to €250 a year. The calculator above works out both for your income.
For carers: the 18.5 hours did not change
Carer's Allowance rises by €10 to €280 a week (under 66) from January, and from July 2027 the income disregard rises to €1,150 a week for a single person and €2,300 for a couple. The limit of 18.5 hours a week of work or study stays the same. Safe Hours shows how many more hours you can take without losing anything.
2026 rates against 2027 rates
Maximum rates. 2026 from the Citizens Information Board's Benefits and Taxes 2026; 2027 from the Budget 2027 announcements. Weekly unless it says otherwise.
| Payment or threshold | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| State Pension (Contributory), max | €299.30 | €309.30 |
| State Pension (Non-Contributory), max | €288.00 | €298.00 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance, max personal rate | €254.00 | €264.00 |
| Disability Allowance, max personal rate | €254.00 | €264.00 |
| Carer's Allowance (under 66) | €270.00 | €280.00 |
| Carer's Allowance (66+) | €308.00 | €318.00 |
| One-Parent Family Payment | €254.00 | €264.00 |
| Child Support Payment (under 12) | €58.00 | €64.00 |
| Child Support Payment (12+) | €78.00 | €84.00 |
| Fuel Allowance (in season) | €38.00 / week | €43.00 / week |
| Living Alone Increase | €22.00 | €25.00 |
| Maternity / Paternity / Parent's Benefit | €299.00 | €309.00 |
| Child Benefit | €140 / month | €140 / month (no change) |
| Carer's Support Grant | €2,000 / year | €2,000 / year (no change) |
| 20% tax band (single) | €44,000 | €46,500 |
| Personal + employee tax credits (single) | €2,000 + €2,000 | €2,125 + €2,125 |
| USC 2% band ends at | €28,700 | €30,300 |
| Rent Tax Credit | €1,000 / €2,000 | €1,150 / €2,300 |
| Minimum wage | €14.15 / hour | €14.94 / hour |
The Budget doesn't claim anything for you
A €10-a-week rise is €520 a year. An unclaimed payment is often worth far more: the Fuel Allowance is over €1,200 a season from 2027, and the Carer's Support Grant is €2,000. The Budget changes the rates; it does not claim anything on your behalf.
Check what you can claim — free →
Common questions
When do the Budget 2027 increases start?
The €10 a week increase in core social welfare rates, the €6 rise in the Child Support Payment, the €5 rise in the Fuel Allowance and the €3 rise in the Living Alone Increase all start from January 2027. The income tax and USC changes apply from 1 January 2027. The Carer's Allowance income disregard and the earnings disregards for Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, One-Parent Family Payment and Jobseeker's Transitional Payment rise from July 2027.
How much is the State Pension in 2027?
The State Pension (Contributory) rises by €10 to €309.30 a week from January 2027, the first time it has been over €300. The State Pension (Non-Contributory) rises by €10 to €298.
Is there a Christmas Bonus in 2026?
Yes. A 100% Christmas Bonus will be paid in December 2026 to about 1.4 million people on long-term social welfare payments. Some payments, such as Jobseeker's Allowance, need 12 months on the payment first.
Is there an energy credit in Budget 2027?
No. No universal electricity credit was announced. The help with energy costs is through the Fuel Allowance, which rises by €5 to €43 a week from January 2027 (over €1,200 a season), and a wider means test for single people aged 66 or over.
What changed for carers?
Carer's Allowance and Carer's Benefit rise by €10 a week from January 2027 (Carer's Allowance to €280 under 66). From July 2027 the Carer's Allowance income disregard rises to €1,150 a week for a single person and €2,300 for a couple. The 18.5-hour limit on work and study did not change.
What is the Cost of Disability payment?
A new once-off payment of €500 in 2027 for about 240,000 people on a long-term disability payment. The Department says how it is paid in later years will be designed with disabled people.
What changed in income tax?
From 1 January 2027 the 20% band rises by €2,500 (to €46,500 for a single person) and the personal, employee and earned income tax credits each rise by €125 to €2,125. The 2% USC band now runs to €30,300. If you earn under €46,500, the band change is worth nothing to you; the credit rise is worth up to €250.
Will petrol and diesel go up after Budget 2027?
Yes, in stages. The carbon tax rise on petrol and diesel is put back from October 2026 to 1 May 2027, about €1.28 more on a 60-litre fill of petrol and €1.48 on diesel. Separately, the temporary excise cut of 25c a litre on petrol and 30c on diesel is restored in steps between 28 February and 30 June 2027.
Is home heating oil cheaper after Budget 2027?
Yes. The carbon tax on kerosene and natural gas is cut to €48.50 a tonne and held there. The Budget in Brief puts it at about €43 less on 1,000 litres of heating oil and €32 less on a typical year of gas.
How much are cigarettes going up?
A pack of 20 cigarettes goes up by €1, with matching rises on other tobacco. Tax on vape liquids rises by 20c a millilitre from 1 January 2027.
What is the new Investment Account?
A new account for shares, bonds and funds, opening on 1 July 2027 for Irish residents aged 18 or over. You pay a flat 1% a year only on the value above €50,000, you can put in up to €12,000 a year, deemed disposal does not apply, and the provider deals with the tax.
What happened to exit tax and Capital Gains Tax?
Exit tax on funds, ETFs and life assurance policies is cut from 38% to 35%. Capital Gains Tax is cut from 33% to 31% on sales from 7 October 2026, except development land, which stays at 33%.
Did inheritance tax thresholds change?
Yes, from 7 October 2026. The Group A threshold (usually children) rises to €420,000, Group B to €44,000 and Group C to €22,000. The 33% rate is unchanged.
Is the student contribution fee going down?
Yes, by €150, and the Budget in Brief says the cut is permanent.
When does the €550 childcare cap start?
From September 2027. The most you pay for a full-time place for a child up to senior infants falls from €735 to €550 a month. The National Childcare Scheme subsidy also rises from €2.14 to €2.50 an hour from September.
Is there anything for students in Budget 2027?
Yes. The student contribution comes down €150 permanently, families with more than one child in college get new or bigger fee grants, and SUSI maintenance grants rise 4.5% from January 2027.
Did medical cards or prescription charges change?
The Budget documents do not mention any change to medical card income limits or prescription charges. Free contraception is extended to people aged up to 37.
What are the 2027 qualified adult rates?
From January 2027: State Pension (Contributory) €206.10 under 66 and €277.40 aged 66 or over; Jobseeker's, Disability Allowance and Illness Benefit €175.20; Invalidity Pension €192.50; State Pension (Non-Contributory) €196.80 under 66.
Sources
- Department of Social Protection — Budget 2027 measures and rates
- Department of Social Protection — Budget 2027 press release
- Department of Finance — Budget 2027 Tax Policy Changes
- Government of Ireland — Your guide to Budget 2027 (Budget in Brief)
- Statement by Minister Harris on Budget 2027
- Statement by Minister Chambers on Budget 2027
- Budget 2027 Expenditure Report, Part 2
- Department of Children, Disability and Equality — Budget 2027
- Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment — enhanced SEAI grants
- Citizens Information Board — Benefits and Taxes 2026 (2026 rates)
We are independent and take no money from any bank, advertiser or government body. Figures are from the Budget 2027 documents published on 6 October 2026. This page is general information, not financial advice; the Department and Revenue decide each case.