Spring is in full swing and April is right around the corner.

A number of significant money changes are on the way next month that households across the country should take note of. This includes the launch of a new social welfare payment and the end of a current scheme.

Here are the cost of living and social welfare changes to watch out for during April:

Pay-Related Benefit

A brand new social welfare scheme worth up to €450 per week will be in effect in April. The Pay-Related Jobseeker's Benefit is a new payment that will launch on 31 March following a year of preparations for its rollout.

Those who become unemployed on or after 31 March 2025 and have made sufficient pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contributions will qualify for the scheme. Under the scheme, the amount of benefit an individual may receive when they become unemployed will be directly linked to their previous earnings, up to a maximum amount of €450 per week.

Those who lose their job before that date will be remain entitled to the existing Jobseeker’s Benefit. The scheme is designed to "ensure that people with a strong work history receive enhanced benefits if they lose their employment".

Fuel Allowance

The current Fuel Allowance season is set to end next month. Over 400,000 households qualify for payment which helps with the cost of heating your home .

Households eligible for the scheme can choose to receive 28 weekly payments of €33 or two lump sum payments of €462. The Fuel Allowance season runs from September until April. The current season began on 23 September 2024 and will end on 4 April 2025.

Social welfare payment date change

There will be a change to the social welfare schedule due to the Easter bank holiday. Post offices and banks will be shut on Easter Monday, April 21, so payments due that day will most likely be paid on Good Friday, April 18, instead.

SSE Airtricity price hikes

SSE Airtricity price hikes will kick in on April 2. This change will see a typical electricity customer’s bill increase by 10.5%, while a typical gas customer’s bill will rise by 8.4%.

This will result in an additional €0.47 per day on the average electricity bill and €0.31 per day on the average gas bill. Dual fuel household bills will increase by 9.5% on average, equivalent to around €0.78 per day.

The energy supplier said the price change is in response to "rises in external costs including network charges and wholesale energy costs".

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