As of 15 December the first set of children’s allowance payments, which will cover the period up to March 2019, will start being issued to around 42,000 families, Minister for the Family, Children’s Rights and Social Solidarity Michael Falzon announced on Thursday.

A number of families will also be taking advantage of increases, as announced in the Budget for the upcoming year.

Falzon explained that the major step forward is because for the first time in 11 years , the children’s allowances for families with a gross yearly income of less than €20,000 will increase.  In fact, 8,100 families will be seeing a maximum increase of €96 per year per child, with this applying to parents on social benefits and also those who are employed. 

He said that a further 4,400 families will be receiving indirect increases in their allowances.  This means that in total, 12,500 families – or rather 18,800 children – will be taking advantage of increases in the children’s allowance.

Falzon also announced that 1,330 families will see a €260 annual increase in the allowance for children with a disability, whilst he reminded that the foster care allowance has been increased by €1,560 per year.

In total, €8.8 million in allowances will be sent out next week, Falzon said.

He said that this shows the government’s commitment so that no child ends up at risk of poverty, and said that the ministry would continue to provide more help so to see that the country truly has a just society.