Those who were on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment but are returning to work this week will still get the Christmas Bonus.
It has been announced by the Government that they are making the payments “on an exceptional basis,” to people who will no longer still be on PUP.
There is also great news for those on unemployment benefit as they will only need to be signing on for the last four months - instead of 15 - to get the double whammy next week.
Government Ministers have decided to get in the festive mood early on the first day of December by splashing the cash.
Next Tuesday will see the Department of Social Protection pay out double welfare payments to 1.6 million people worth a whopping €390million extra in people’s pockets.
This will include people who are finishing up on Pandemic Unemployment Payments (PUP) this week and returning to work as businesses start to reopen under Level Three.
The news was confirmed at a post-Cabinet briefing from the Government’s Press Secretaries.
A spokesman said: “The Christmas bonus will be received by 1.6million people this year and this is going to be the largest ever.
“On an exceptional basis, the bonus will also be paid to recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment provided they have been in receipt of a PUP payment, continuous or otherwise for at least four months or 17 weeks since the payment was first introduced.”
They added: “As the PUP Payment Week runs from Friday to Thursday, any person in receipt of PUP for any one day of the period Friday 27th November to Thursday 3rd December will receive the Christmas Bonus payment provided they also meet the 17 week requirement on Tuesday the 8th of December.”
The PUP was brought in by the Government in March as an emergency response to the country entering lockdown and hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs.
It can be worth up to €350 a week.
