Extension of child benefit to 18-year-olds comes into effect

Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, has extended Child Benefit to 18-year-olds who are in full-time education or who have a disability from today, May 1.

The first payments will be made next week and will be expected to benefit around 60,000 children.

Minister Humphreys secured the agreement to extend Child Benefit to 18-year-olds as part of Budget 2024. 

This measure was initially due to be implemented from September of this year, but in February, the Minister for Social Protection announced that her department was able to introduce the changes, four months earlier than planned, in May.

Speaking about the extension of Child Benefit to 18-year-olds today, Minister Humphreys stated, “I’m delighted to announce that Child Benefit is being extended to 18-year-olds from today”.

“This was a Budget priority for me with the measure initially due to come into effect in September. However, in February I announced that we were in a position to implement the change four months earlier from May”.

“This will benefit thousands of families right across the country, who up until now saw their Child Benefit end as soon as their child turned 18”.

Humpreys continued, “With many children now starting primary school at age five, together with the increase in pupils doing transition year, there has been an increase in the number of 18-year-olds still in secondary education”.

“Child Benefit is one of the only mechanisms available to me to support and put more money back into the pockets of working families”.

She added, “I believe the extension of Child Benefit to 18-year-olds in full-time education is a long-term change for the better and will support families across Ireland into the future. We expect that some 60,000 children will benefit annually as a result of this significant change”.

Child Benefit is paid on the first Tuesday each month at a monthly rate of €140 per child.