Christmas bonuses will be paid to pensioners, those on disability and unemployment assistance and all other regular welfare recipients.
And in a last-minute deal, nine out of 10 on PUP will also get double money the fortnight before Christmas.
Normally you have to be on a benefit for 15 months to qualify for such a bonus but this has been shortened to just four months in an “exceptional time”, a Government source said.
It can be combined over a number of periods in the last year, so if you were let go twice you can add up the two periods.
A source close to Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys said: “The Government wanted to target the support at those workers who have been hardest hit and spent the most time out of employment due to the pandemic.”
In other Budget news, the Irish Mirror revealed last night 600 new gardai will enter Templemore next year.
This will bring numbers to a record high of more than 15,000 in a major bid to tackle gangland crime.
And the force will be further strengthened by another 500 civilian personnel that are also going to be hired.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee secured the funding ahead of today’s Budget announcements.
Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath has also agreed to funding for 70 new Garda squad cars.
Meanwhile, pensioners are going to be looked as every elderly person who qualifies for the fuel allowance will get an extra €3.50 a week into their pocket with an across-the-board increase. An extra €5 a week has been found to provide for a hike in the Living Alone allowance that so many qualify for.
And every pensioner will enjoy the Christmas bonus as part of the Department of Social Protection’s generous double payment to all welfare recipients in December.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe’s Budget is set to be one of the largest giveaways in history as the double threat of Covid and Brexit, along with record low borrowing costs on the markets, means the Government is going to splash the cash like never before.
In what is being described in political circles as a Late Late Show Budget, with a “one for everyone in the audience’ strategy being deployed”, €5billion will be given away.
The total debt the Government is looking at this year is heading north of €21billion. And there will be little or no clawback from ordinary taxpayers to pay for all this as the Government has promised absolutely no income tax hikes.
One significant exception here is in relation to carbon tax.
The Greens are in power and it is enshrined in the Programme for Government that levies will go up every year.
Another consumer tax hike that is a sure thing is on packs of cigarettes.
And business support will feature strongly after the pandemic put thousands of businesses are on life support.
