Call to extend child benefit payments to families in direct provision

Child benefit payments needs to be extended to families in direct provision according to Reuben Hambakachere, Equality Officer for the Labour Party in Meath.

He made the call along with 13 organisations working with people seeking international protection in Ireland raised this issue with the Government. There are some 700 people, including children, living in Direct Provision in Meath – in Laytown, Navan, and Slane.

Today, a double child benefit payment of €280 was issued to families from today, as part of measures to assist households with the rising cost of living.

Families in Direct Provision don't receive the allowance.

“The recent budget was a missed opportunity to ensure that Child Benefit becomes genuinely universal by extending it to children living in Direct Provision”, he said.

“While other families are going to receive a double child benefit payment in November, children in Direct Provision will not be receiving anything. This is particularly worrying considering that this budget has been framed as a key intervention in the Cost-of-Living crisis. I am deeply disappointed to see children and young people living in Direct Provision who receive the lowest social welfare payments in the State being left out at a time when most families are feeling the pinch.”

“The Government had promised in its recent White Paper to introduce a child benefit payment for children in Direct Provision. It has not done this yet and the recent budget would have been an ideal time to do so.”

Reuben Hambakachere continued saying:

“Our experience is that the current allowance is insufficient for people's needs while living in Direct Provision. Budget 2023 increased other social welfare payments and ignored the most marginalised group in the country. The people in DP are left at the mercy of the state. Their sense of autonomy and the choices they make are impacted by the asylum process and we have noticed how this is affecting integration after DP.”

“The government cannot continue ignoring this group of people. If Ireland is to meet the first goal under the Sustainable Development Goals (No Poverty) it is time to start addressing state sanctioned poverty in DP.”