The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, has today announced that the Department of Social Protection has issued Parent’s Benefit payments valued at €14 million in the four month period April to July 2021. The number of parents availing of Parent’s Benefit has increased almost five-fold compared to the same period last year.
On 1st April this year, Parent’s Leave and Benefit was extended to five weeks – an increase of three weeks. Since then, 20,411 parents have been awarded Parent’s Benefit.
In July 2021 alone, the Department issued payments valued at €4.4 million to parents in receipt of Parent’s Benefit. In comparison, €572,000 was issued by the Department in Parent’s Benefit payments in July 2020, when the support was paid for two weeks.
Parent’s Benefit is paid at the same rate as Maternity, Paternity and Adoptive benefits, which is €245 per week. It is available for both parents to allow them to spend more time with their new-born children during these important and formative years or with their adopted children.
Minister Humphreys extended Parent’s Benefit by three weeks per parent, in respect of children born on or adopted after 1st November 2019, as part of Budget 2021. Parent’s Benefit can be availed of over the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child.
