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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

Not a payment in its own right — an increase paid on top of a qualifying payment.

Effective from Checked

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.

How to apply The official form, what to include, and where to send it. Contact details Handled by your local Intreo Centre — how to find it.