Living Alone Increase
An extra €22 a week on top of your main payment if you live completely alone and get a qualifying payment. If you did not say you live alone when you applied for your main payment or you start living alone later, you need to apply for it.
Last checked October 2026
What it is
An extra weekly payment for people who live completely alone and get certain social welfare payments. Worth €22 a week. Budget 2027 announced that the weekly increase rises from €22 to €25 in 2027.
Who can get it
- You live completely alone (with some exceptions, such as a granny flat with your own cooking and living space)
- You are 66 or over and get the State Pension (Contributory or Non-Contributory), a Bereaved Partner's Pension, Death Benefit, Incapacity Supplement or Deserted Wife's Benefit
- Or you are under 66 and get Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension or Incapacity Supplement
- If you said you live alone when you applied for your main payment, it is decided with that claim. If you did not or you start living alone later, fill in the Living Alone Increase form (LA1) and send it to whoever pays your main payment.
- You must live completely alone, though there are exceptions, for example a granny flat, or a relative who stays overnight only for security and does not contribute financially.
- It is paid on top of your existing payment, not instead of it.
How to apply
Applications go through DSP. The official page has the full eligibility rules and the application itself.
Go to the official page →Checked against the official source on 7 October 2026. Always confirm the details on the official page before applying.
Questions people ask
How much is the Living Alone Increase in 2026?
An extra €22 a week on top of your main payment if you live completely alone and get a qualifying payment.
Do I need to apply for the Living Alone Increase?
It depends. If you said you live alone when you applied for your main payment, it is decided with that claim. If you did not or you start living alone later, fill in the Living Alone Increase form (LA1) and send it to whoever pays your main payment.
Who qualifies for the Living Alone Increase?
You must live completely alone (with some exceptions, such as a granny flat with your own cooking and living space) and get a qualifying payment: the State Pension, a Bereaved Partner's Pension, Death Benefit, Incapacity Supplement or Deserted Wife's Benefit if you are 66 or over, or Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension or Incapacity Supplement if you are under 66.
Related guides
- Carer's Allowance
- Carer's Support Grant
- Domiciliary Care Allowance
- Carer's Benefit
- Home Carer Tax Credit
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