The festive season is fast approaching, with many people already buying presents and starting to put up decorations.
But while Christmas is a magical time of year, it can also be a financial burden on a lot of families.
Luckily, those eligible for the Christmas Bonus payments will only have to wait until the week of December 2 to receive their money.
In Budget 2020, it was announced that a Christmas Bonus of 100% will be paid to people getting a long-term social welfare payment. (Minimum €20).
You must be receiving Job Seeker's Allowance or basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance for 15 months to qualify.
However, if you get another eligible payment before claiming either of the above, and your combined total is 15 months, you will get the payment.
People who receive the following payments will get a Christmas Bonus this year:
- Back to Education Allowance (people coming from jobseeker's payments must have been on their payment and/or BTEA for 15 months)
- Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
- Back to Work Family Dividend
- Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (long-term only - 15 months/over 455 days)
- Blind Pension
- Carer's Allowance and Benefit (including half-rate Carer's Allowance)
- Community Employment
- Deserted Wife's Allowance and Benefit
- Daily Expenses Allowance, formerly called Direct Provision Allowance (long-term only - 15 months)
- Disability Allowance
- Disablement Pension and Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Scheme
- Domiciliary Care Allowance
- Farm Assist
- Gateway
- Guardian's Payment (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
- Invalidity Pension
- Job Initiative
- Jobseeker's Allowance (long-term only - 15 months/over 390 days of unemployment)
- Jobseeker's Transitional payment
- Magdalene Laundry Payment
- One-Parent Family Payment
- Partial Capacity Benefit
- Rural Social Scheme
- State Pension (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
- Tús
- VTOS (people coming from jobseeker's payments must have been on their payment and/or VTOS for 15 months), and
- Widow, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory).
Certain people getting a Further Education and Training allowance will get a bonus, along with those who get Blind Welfare Allowance, Mobility Allowance, and rehabilitative training allowance from the HSE.
Survivors of Thalidomide who get payments from the Department of Health also get the bonus.
For Domiciliary Care Allowance, the bonus is 100% of the weekly payment.
For more information visit Citizen's Information.
