The festive season is just around the corner with only 46 days to go until Christmas Day.
While being the most wonderful time of the year, it is also the most expensive period for the majority of people who celebrate the holiday.
The good news for social welfare recipients is that thousands of claimants are set to receive a Christmas Bonus payment in advance of the festivities.
The annual cash benefit is given to people claiming a long-term social welfare payment.
The bonus is 100% of the normal weekly long-term social welfare payment which claimants receive, with the minimum amount being €20.
Up to €315 million has been given for Christmas Bonuses for all welfare recipients.
In 2020, people getting the PUP for at least 17 weeks also received the cash reward.
While the exact date of the payment is yet to be confirmed, it is expected to be lodged into claimants' accounts in less than four weeks time.
People received their Christmas Bonus along with their social welfare payment in the week beginning 7 December last year.
Therefore, based on this it would be expected that social welfare recipients could expect to receive it in the week starting December 6 this year.
Some 23 categories of social welfare claims are included in the eligibility list for claimants to receive a Christmas Bonus.
These include:
- 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 - 15 months/over 455 days)
- 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)
- Tús
- Widow, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
Additionally, many social welfare recipients will get a double payment this Christmas.
Those on more than one social welfare payment will get double pay on each one they receive.
For example, if you get the one-parent family payment and the domiciliary care allowance or a half-rate carer’s allowance as well as your primary payment, you will get a Christmas Bonus on both.
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