The long-awaited social welfare Christmas Bonus is due to be paid in the coming weeks.
The bonus is given as an annual once-off payment to those on long-term social welfare to lend an extra hand over the festive season.
With the payment due in early December, we decided to take a look at who is eligible, and how much you can expect to hit your account.
How much is the bonus?
Put simply, the bonus will be 100% of your regular weekly payment. This included the Living Alone Increase, the Island Allowance and the Over-80 Increase. Sadly, it does not include the Fuel Allowance.
If your payments are normally given to a dependent spouse, civil partner or cohabitant, so will the bonus.
For Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA), which is paid monthly, the bonus is 100% of the weekly DCA rate.
The minimum payment for the Christmas Bonus is €20.
Am I eligible for the bonus?
You will receive the extra payment if you are on any of the follow:
- Back to Work Enterprise Allowance - people coming from jobseeker's payments need to be getting the Allowance for at least 312 days, but you may be able to use your time on your jobseeker’s payment to help you qualify.
- Back to Work Family Dividend
- Benefit payment for 65 year olds
- Blind Pension
- Carer's Allowance and Carer's Benefit (including half-rate Carer's Allowance)
- Community Employment
- COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) for 12 months (312 days)
- Deserted Wife's Allowance and Benefit
- Daily Expenses Allowance, formerly called Direct Provision Allowance for 12 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
- Guardian's Payment (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
- Invalidity Pension
- Jobseeker's Allowance for 12 months (312 days)
- Jobseeker's Transitional payment
- Magdalene Laundry Payment
- One-Parent Family Payment
- Partial Capacity Benefit
- Rural Social Scheme
- State Pension (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
- Supplementary Welfare Allowance for 12 months
- Tús
- VTOS Allowance for 15 months - people coming from jobseeker's payments need to be getting the Allowance for at least 15 months, but you may be able to use your time on your jobseeker’s payment to help you qualify.
- Widow, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
