Child Benefit is paid out on the first Tuesday of every month
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With 2026 just around the corner, there’s a fresh set of Child Benefit payment dates on the way.
We’ve compiled the complete list for you – including any potential changes to payment dates due to bank holiday rescheduling.
Child Benefit is typically disbursed on the first Tuesday of every month, or earlier if a bank holiday results in banks and post offices being shut on the prior Monday, reports RSVP Live. The benefit is paid at a rate of €140 per child.
The full list of 2026 Child Benefit payment dates are:
6th January3rd February (may be paid early due to St Brigid’s Day bank holiday on the 2nd)3rd March7th April (may be paid early due to Easter Monday bank holiday on the 6th)5th May (may be paid early due to May bank holiday on the 4th)2nd June (may be paid early due to June bank holiday on the 1st)7th July4th August (may be paid early due to August bank holiday on the 3rd)1st September6th October3rd November1st December
In Budget 2026, no increase or bonus was announced for Child Benefit, but a two-tier payment system remains part of the government’s future plans.
Earlier this year, Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed that the Government is contemplating a second-tier Child Benefit payment aimed at less affluent families as a measure against child poverty.
The flat €140 payment will continue to be made to everyone, irrespective of income. The €140 payment per child remains the same regardless of the number of children in the family.
However, according to senior government figures, a higher top-up rate could also be introduced for the third and subsequent children to encourage more births.
A report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) suggested that a second-tier child benefit targeting low-income households could lift up to 50,000 children out of poverty.
Speaking to RTÉ’s This Week in September, Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary stated that the implementation of this measure would require a “complete rejig” of current payments, which won’t be ready by the forthcoming Budget.
“We just need to look at the need to look at the supports already in place, in addition to the universal child benefit. We have the child support payment, which is paid in addition to child benefit to those on the lowest incomes,” he said.
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