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The economy is growing and unemployment is falling. The first phase of therecovery is complete and we are now starting the second: restoring livingstandards for families, older people, and low and middle-income workers.

The last few years have been difficult as the economic recovery begins totake hold it is important that the fruits of that recovery are shared in anequitable manner.

That is why under Budget 2015, we are delivering a package of measures thatprimarily benefits low and middle income earners, working families andvulnerable groups. Labour has ensured this through reduced taxes for middleand low-income workers and targeted increases for a number of keysupports, such as Child Benefit and the Living Alone Allowance. We are alsoensuring significant investment in key public services including housing,education and health.

This is in addition to our ongoing unrelenting focus on job creation andhelping jobseekers get back to work.

Inside are details on some of the important Tax and Social Welfare measuresthat will help you and your family. If you need any assistance on this or anyother matter please do not hesitate to contact me.

In Budget 2015, investment in the building of new family homes is a priority:

� €3.8 billion has been allocated for housing provision under an unprecedented multi-annual plan.

� In 2015 alone, over €800 million has been allocated for the housing programme– the first majorinvestment in housing since 2009 and a 40% increase in spending on 2014 levels.

� This dramatically increased investment will deliver 7,500 family homes in 2015 and a total of40,000 family homes by 2020.

� Spending on homelessness services will increase by over 20% to €55 million.

Pensioners have made a very significant contribution to supporting and developing economicrecovery over recent years. The 0.6% Pension levy was introduced to help fund the Jobs Initiativeand clearly played an important role in the positive jobs’ trend with 72,000 new jobs havingbeen created since the peak of the crisis in 2012.

As a result of the recent emerging economic recovery, the 0.6% Pension Levy will end in 2014and the additional 0.15% Pension Levy will expire at the end of 2015.

ENDING THE PENSION LEVY

€3.8 BILLION HOUSING INVESTMENT

PROTECTING EDUCATION -1700 NEW TEACHERS AND SNAS

� New Teachers & SNAS: An investment of €88m in 2015 will ensure 1700 new teachers andSNAs will be employed in our schools during 2015. There will be 900 new classroom teachers inprimary and second-level schools, 480 resource teachers and 365 SNAs.

� Class Sizes: For the fourth year in a row, Labour has protected the class sizes in our schools.

� Back to School Costs:A second tranche of €5m will be provided in a three-year additionalinvestment in schoolbook funding for our primary schools, on top of the €15m already investedeach year

� Free Broadband for schools:We are investing €3m to ensure the high-speed broadband whichhas been installed in allpost-primary schools isavailable to them free ofcharge

� Early ChildhoodEducation:Under Budget2015, we will spend€600,000 on theimmediate recruitment ofthefirst ever team of earlychildhood educationinspectors to greatlyimprove the quality ofearly childhood education.

Investing in education is a key Labour priority and in Budget2015 we have ensured that theimproving economicsituation will help enhance education services:

Minister for Development, Trade Promotion and North South Co-operation

Budget 2015 provides an extra €3 billion in resources for the domestic economy. This will help todrive the already strengthening domestic economic recovery and support an additional 50,000 jobsnext year, with unemployment set to fall further to 10% by the end of 2015.

� To support the successful Pathways to Work programme in 2015, €1.6 billion will be madeavailable to provide approximately 300,000 work and training places.

� €12 million has been allocated for the JobPath initiative which matches the long-termunemployed with appropriate training and employment opportunities.

� The number of JobsPlus positions has been doubled to 6,000 with a focus on young unemployedpeople.

BUDGET 2015: PRIORITISING WORK

A guide to tax& entitlements

2015

SEÁN SHERLOCK TD

A MESSAGE FROM SEÁN SHERLOCK TD

Minister for Development, Trade Promotion and North South Co-operation

Constituency OfficeDavis (Flemings) Lane, Mallow, Co. CorkTel: 022 53523 Fax: 022 57761Email: sean.sherlock@oir.ie

Constituency Office:Davis (Flemings) Lane, Mallow, Co. CorkTel: 022 53523 Fax: 022 57761Email: sean.sherlock@oir.ie

Sean Sherlock TD

@seansherlocktd

SEÁN SHERLOCK TD

CLLR CATHAL RASMUSSEN086 8878421cathal.rasmussen@gmail.com

CLLR NOEL MCCARTHY086 3751736noelmccarthy28@hotmail.com

Working with

� Weekly payment rates to carers maintained in Budget 2015, and full time carers in receipt of

another welfare payment are still eligible for half rate Carer’s Allowance.

� The Annual Respite Care Grant has been kept at €1,325 for 2015.

� Carers who live with the person they care for continue to be eligible for the Household benefits

package and free travel pass. The payment is not taken into account in the assessment for amedical card.

PROTECTING OLDER PEOPLE

There will be no change in the rates of the weekly state pensions or other payments for those aged over66 such as the fuel allowance, free travel and TV allowance.

STATE PENSION (CONTRIBUTORY) RATES – the full breakdown of personal rates applicable to youryearly average PRSI contributions is available on www.welfare.ie or from any Citizens InformationOffice.

FUEL ALLOWANCE – continues to be paid at a weekly rate of €20 for 26 weeks (6 months). Fuel Seasonfor 2014/15 will end on 6th April 2015.

HOUSEHOLD BENEFITS PACKAGE - The Household Package Electricity/Gas Allowance and theeligibility for a free TV Licence remain unchanged.

JOBSEEKERS BENEFIT 2014 2015

Personal Rate* €188 €188

STATE PENSION (CONTRIBUTORY) 2014 2015

Under age 80* €230.30 €230.30Aged 80 and over €240.30 €240.30STATE PENSION (NON-CONTRIBUTORY) Weekly Personal Rate

Under age 80* €219.00 €219.00Aged 80 and over €229.00 €229.00Other Social Insurance and Assistance payments for widows, widowers, surviving civil partners,deserted wife’s benefit and the blind pension are unchanged.

*There was no change on the applicable qualified adult or child rates

CARER’S BENEFIT (PRSI based) 2014 2015

Caring for 1 person up to 2 years €205 €205CARER’S ALLOWANCE (Means tested) Maximum weekly rate

Under 66, caring for 1 person €204 €204Under 66, caring for 2 or more €306 €30666 or over, caring for 1 person €239 €239Aged 80 and over €358.50 €358.50Half-Rate Carer’s Allowance paid at 50% of above rates.

There was no change on the applicable qualified adult or child rates.

JOBSEEKERS ALLOWANCE Maximum Weekly Rate

26 years or over* €188 €18825 years of age €144 €14418-24 years of age €100 €100*No Change on increase for qualified adult (€124.80) or qualified child (€29.80)

CARER’S ALLOWANCE PROTECTED

TAX RELIEF FOR LOW AND MIDDLEINCOME EARNERSUnder Budget 2015, an extremely progressive tax package has been secured that focuses the reliefon those who most need it - low and middle-income workers. Tax is being reduced for low andmiddle-income earners to ensure that those at work take home more and begin to benefit from therecovery.

This is a significant step forward in targeting reliefs at low and middle income earners and ensuringthat, proportionately, they gain the most. The changes are outlined in the tables below.

Reduced rates of USC apply to

� People aged over 70 with an income of €60,000 or less (excluding Department of SocialProtection payments) per year.

� People aged under 70 who hold a medical card and whose income is €60,000 or less (excludingDepartment of Social Protection payments) per year.

Income band USC rate

Up to €10,036 2%

Between €10,036 4%and €16,016Above €16,016 7%

2015 Rates Income band

1.5% Up to €12, 0123.5% All income over €12,012

Income band USC rate

Up to €12,012 1.5%

Between €12,012 and €17,576 3.5%

Between €17,576 and €70,044 7%

Above €70,044 8%

UNIVERSAL SOCIAL CHARGESTANDARD RATE

REDUCED RATE

Single person

One parent family

Married couple/civil partners, oneincome

Married couple/civil partners, twoincomes

2014

20%

€32,800

€36,800

€41,800

€41,800 @ 20% withincrease of €23,800maximum

41%

Balance

Balance

Balance

Balance

2015

20%

€33,800

€37,800

€42,800

€42,800 @ 20%with increase of€24,800 maximum

40%

Balance

Balance

Balance

Balance

2014 2015

The Back to Work Family Dividend is a new incentive under Budget 2015 to help jobseekers withfamilies return to work, while retaining the child-related portion of their social welfare paymenton a tapered basis over two years.

This includes those who move to self-employment, such as back into the construction sector, andthose on One Parent Family Payment. The scheme will be worth €1,550 per child in the first year ofemployment or self-employment and half that amount again in the second year.

BACK TO WORK FAMILY DIVIDEND21%PAID BY THETOP 1%

OFTAX

OF EARNERS

44%PAID BY THETOP 6%

OFTAX

OF EARNERS

80%PAID BY THETOP 24%

OFTAX

OF EARNERS

New claimants with 260 or more contributions will be paid Jobseekers Benefit for 9 months. Thosewith less than 260 contributions will be eligible for 6 months payment. The means test for JobseekersAllowance has not been changed.

SOCIAL WELFARE

TAX & USC

CORE WEEKLY PAYMENTS PROTECTED AGAIN

STATE PENSION PROTECTED

CHILD BENEFIT INCREASED

LIVING ALONE ALLOWANCE INCREASEThe Living Alone Allowance will increase by €1.30 per week, bringing the rate up from €7.70 to €9.This is the first increase in this payment since 1996, and will benefit over 177,000 people. Thisincrease will provide for a greater level of income adequacy for both pensioners and people withdisabilities living alone.

PROGRESSIVE INCOME TAX & USC SYSTEM

What are the new rates of Child Benefit?From January 1st 2015, families will be entitled to the following new rates of Child Benefit:

Number of Children 2015 Monthly Rate 2015 Annual rate Yearly Increase from 2014

1 child €135.00 €1,620.00 €60.00

2 children €270.00 €3,240.00 €120.00

3 children €405.00 €4,860.00 €180.00

4 children €540.00 €6,480.00 €240.00

5 children €675.00 €8,100.00 €300.00

6 children €810.00 €9,720.00 €360.00

In Budget 2015, for the first time in many years there will be an increase in spending of €200 million oftargeted increases in certain payments, and new incentives to help people back to work. It also meansthat we have been able to protect the core weekly rates of payment once again.

The Back to Work Family Dividend is a new incentive under Budget 2015 to help jobseekers withfamilies return to work, while retaining the child-related portion of their social welfare payment on atapered basis over two years.

This includes those who move to self-employment, such as back into the construction sector, and thoseon One Parent Family Payment. The scheme will be worth €1,550 per child in the first year ofemployment or self-employment and half that amount again in the second year.

BACK TO WORK FAMILY DIVIDEND