Families with children and beneficiaries of supplementary assistance will receive payments totalling around €26.6 million this weekend, covering the second quarter of the year, the government said.
The payments form part of a wider package of social benefits that, according to official figures, has already seen around €53 million distributed in the first two instalments of the year. By the end of 2026, the government estimates that almost €110 million will have been paid out to eligible families.
The largest share of this second-quarter disbursement, amounting to €19.5 million, will go towards Children's Allowance payments and the additional supplement. These payments will reach nearly 42,000 families with almost 62,600 children.
This is the second payment to be issued under new parameters introduced in last year's Budget, which revised the rates of children's allowances paid to families with relatively low or middle disposable incomes.
Following the changes, the rates paid per child under the age of 16 were increased, with the highest annual Children's Allowance rate rising by €167 to €1,420. In addition, families are receiving a supplementary payment which this year increased by €250 to €910, bringing the total maximum annual support per child to €2,330.
A family with two children entitled to the highest rate will therefore receive a total of €4,660 this year. Rates vary according to household income, with the minimum amount payable standing at nearly €1,100 per child annually.
More than 2,100 additional families with 2,700 children suffering from physical or intellectual disabilities are also separately receiving the Children's Disability Allowance, which also covers the second quarter of the year. These payments exceed €1.3 million in total.
Further payments are also being issued to families fostering children up to the age of 21. For each child in their care, foster families are receiving €6,760 this year, an increase of €520 over last year. As a result, they are receiving a three-month payment of €1,690 this week.
Meanwhile, almost 19,600 families, couples and single persons will share nearly €5.4 million in improved Supplementary Allowance payments aimed at helping them cope better with the cost of living. Around 70% of these beneficiaries are single persons, widows, and separated or divorced individuals on low incomes.
The maximum rate payable to couples this year has risen to €27.30 per week, while the maximum for single persons has reached €14.40 per week. These rates also vary depending on income.
The number of beneficiaries has increased by 500 since December following an expansion of income thresholds intended to allow more couples and single persons to qualify for the benefit. The net income ceiling for couples rose by €2,000 to €20,000, while that for single persons increased by €1,500 to €14,000.
Beneficiaries aged 65 and over are also benefiting this year from a €100 increase in the annual grant paid separately alongside the allowance. The grant, which now stands at €250, is now being paid to both spouses rather than just one, as had previously been the case.
In addition, from the start of the year, those beneficiaries became automatically eligible for free medicines without having to satisfy a means test.
Social Policy and Children's Rights Minister Michael Falzon said that at a time of global uncertainty, the Maltese government continues to offer stability and peace of mind. He said that while many families across Europe and beyond are facing the severe consequences of international geopolitical instability, families in Malta continue to receive strong direct and indirect support from the state.
Falzon said the measures reflect what he described as the government's unprecedented social commitment, insisting that Malta and its people remain at the forefront of its priorities.