People in receipt of social welfare payments will be eligible to receive a Christmas bonus in the coming weeks.
The payment will be given to those receiving a long term social welfare payment between December 6 and December 10.
This year the Bonus will be 100% of your normal weekly long term social welfare payment.
However, some people may be eligible for two Christmas Bonus payments.
If you are getting two eligible social welfare payments, for example, you receive a One-Parent Family Payment and the Domiciliary Care Allowance, you will get a Christmas Bonus for both payments.
In 2021, people getting the following payments will get a Christmas Bonus:
- Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
- COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP)
- 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 - 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
- Job Initiative
- Jobseeker's Allowance (for at least 104 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 (long-term only - 12 months)
- Tús
- Widow, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
The Christmas Bonus will not include Fuel Allowance, with the minimum Christmas Bonus payment set at €20.
If an Increase for a Qualified Adult is paid directly to your dependent spouse, civil partner or cohabitant, the Christmas Bonus will also be paid directly to them.
The public have been warned not to confuse the Christmas Bonus with the usual 'double week' of welfare and pensions payments paid out before Christmas.
The double payments week is in place to counteract the closure of banks and post offices and is followed by a week of no payment.
Welfare payments that will not receive the boosted festive payment include the Family Income Supplement or Working Family Payment, Illness Benefit, and Maternity Benefit.
