Dear Service Provider,
NCS applicants will today receive notification that from 31 August 2026, the income assessed lower threshold will increase from €26,000 to €34,000 and the upper threshold from €60,000 to €68,000. In addition, the multiple child discount rates will also be increased as outlined below:
- For 2 children, the discount will increase from €4,300 to €5,500.
- For 3 or more children, the discount will increase from €8,600 to €11,000.
The increase, which was introduced by Minister Norma Foley as part of Budget 2026 measures, means that families who did not previously qualify for an income assessed award may be eligible going forward.
What does this mean for applicants?
Income Assessed Awards
If an applicant is availing of an Income Assessed award, this will be recalculated using the new Multi Child Discount and NCS Thresholds. Where existing awards are updated, this will be done automatically, and the applicant will be notified at the time of completion. No action is required of an Income Assessed applicant. They do not need to submit a new application, nor should they cancel their current application as this will end subsidy payments to you.
Universal Awards
In light of these changes, Universal applicants should check if they could qualify for a higher subsidy by checking their entitlement. They can use the subsidy calculator on the Applicant Portal to estimate their subsidy entitlement and see if it is worth applying for an income assessed award.
If the calculator indicates that they may benefit from a higher rate, they can choose to apply for an income assessed subsidy.
What does this mean for providers?
Income Assessed Awards
In the coming weeks and prior to 31 August 2026, Income Assessed claims will automatically be updated with the new rate. There will be no need for parents to confirm these claims again, however, if parents have not yet confirmed their claims, they will still be required to do so. In addition prior to 31 August 2026, service providers can identify affected claims in a specially dedicated page on the Early Years Hive. A further announcement will be issued when this view is available.
Universal Awards
If an applicant chooses to switch to an Income Assessed application:
- Their existing universal subsidy will end;
- You must register the new Income Assessed CHICK immediately;
- Claims must be confirmed by the applicant before payments can flow to the provider.
Important: It should be noted that where rates change, the parents’ co-payment must be updated, and the parent informed.
Support
If you need further support, please raise a Service Request on the Early Years Hive using the following dropdown options:
- Request program type: NCS
- Request type: Registrations
- Request type detail: Claim
Parents seeking support in this regard should be advised to contact the NCS Parent Support Centre on 01 906 8530, Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, or to visit www.ncs.gov.ie.
Regards,
The Early Years Team
