A number of social welfare payments that had been paid fortnightly amid the Covid-19 pandemic will in August go back to being paid weekly.
All weekly benefits were paid fortnightly from March 23rd to control the numbers in post offices at any one time and better comply with public health guidelines in relation to the coronavirus pandemic, including social distancing.
Benefits going back to a weekly payment from August 10th or August 17th include jobseeker’s allowance, jobseeker’s benefit, the one-parent family payment, the working family payment, and illness benefit.
However, State pensions will continue to be paid fortnightly, as will the carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit.
The Department of Social Protection will also reduce the number of days claimants have to collect instalments of certain social welfare benefits at the post office from 90 to 20.
The time limit had been extended to three months in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Payments reverting to the 20 days include jobseeker’s benefit and allowance, the one-parent family payment, the back-to-work enterprise allowance, the back-to-work family dividend, and the farm assist payment.
The department said it will “continue to review the schedules for the payments that continue to be paid fortnightly and in line with public health guidelines”.