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💶 Q2 . How does your household income feel right now?

Step 2 of 4

For this quick checker, we use simple income bands, not exact figures.
You do not need payslips or a calculator. Just think about how your income feels after your regular bills.

Choose the option that feels closest to your situation.
If none of them fit perfectly, pick the one that is nearest and you can still talk to the HSE or Citizens Information for a full review later.

Which option best matches your situation?

Money is tight most weeks

We can manage but have to watch every bill

We can usually cover bills comfortably

Help choosing an income band

These bands are only a guide. You can use them like this:

  • Choose “Money is tight most weeks” if your income often feels low for your household.
    For example, you sometimes struggle to pay essential bills on time or have little left over.

  • Choose “We can manage but have to watch every bill” if you can normally cover the main bills, but you need to budget carefully and unexpected costs are hard.

  • Choose “We can usually cover bills comfortably” if you can pay regular bills without much difficulty and still have some money left over most months.

    If you are still unsure, pick the option that feels closest and make a short note about why.

Tip

If you find it hard to judge your income on your own, you can:

  • Ask a trusted family member, carer or friend to look at it with you, or
  • Bring recent payslips, pension details or social welfare letters to your GP, Citizens Information, a community worker, or the National Medical Card Unit and ask them to help you understand which band you might be in.