Living Alone Allowance
A weekly top-up for people getting certain social welfare payments who live entirely alone. Officially called the Living Alone Increase.
- Type
- Not means-tested
- Paid
- Every week
- Taxable
- Depends
- Administered by
- Department of Social Protection
Taxable: Taxed only if the payment it sits on top of is taxable. The increase has no taxability of its own.
How much is Living Alone Allowance?
€22/week
Living Alone Increase
Increases you may also get
| Telephone Support Allowance (with Fuel Allowance) | €2.50/week |
|---|
Budget 2027: from January 2027
Amounts a week. Announced, not yet in force. Until January 2027 you are paid the current rate.
| Rate | Now | From January 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Living Alone Increase | €22 | €25 |
| Telephone Support Allowance (with Fuel Allowance) | €2.50 | Not yet published |
DSP does not list the Telephone Support Allowance.
Read from Department of Social Protection, Budget 2027, checked .
Not a payment in its own right. An increase paid on top of a qualifying payment.
Who can get Living Alone Allowance
- You must be getting a qualifying social welfare payment or pension.
- You must live completely alone.
Is Living Alone Allowance means tested?
The Living Alone Increase is not separately means-tested, but the payment it sits on top of may be.
Things people get caught by
- Living Alone Increase plus Fuel Allowance automatically triggers the Telephone Support Allowance of €2.50 a week. You do not apply for it separately.
What else you might get
Payments interact. These are the ones that commonly go with Living Alone Allowance.
- Fuel Allowance
Holding both automatically adds the €2.50 Telephone Support Allowance.