Minister Humphreys announces details for double Child Benefit and Christmas Bonus payments
- Published on: 4 December 2023
- Last updated on: 27 January 2024
- 650,000 families to receive double Child Benefit payments tomorrow
- Christmas Bonus to be paid to over 1.3 million people including Pensioners, Carers and People with Disabilities
- payments totalling over €500 million to support people with the cost of living
The Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys has announced a double Child Benefit payment will be paid tomorrow (Tuesday 5 December) to support 650,000 families with the cost of living.
The measure means that €280 per child will be paid in respect of over 1.2 million children across the State.
Minister Humphreys also announced the details for the Christmas Bonus, which will be paid to approximately 1.3 million people this week including Pensioners, Carers and People with Disabilities.
Confirming the payment details for the double Child Benefit payments, Minister Humphreys said:
“I’m very pleased to announce that 650,000 families will receive a double Child Benefit Payment on Tuesday to support them with the cost of living. This means that families will receive payments of €280 per child tomorrow.
“I am very conscious of the pressure families are under particularly in the run up to Christmas. Child Benefit is one of the few tools within the Department of Social Protection that I can use to support working families. I know from my days working in the Credit Union how much families depend on the monthly Child Benefit payment and I am delighted to announce details of this double payment today which will support hundreds of thousands of hardworking families across the country.”
In addition to the Double Child Benefit payments, Minister Humphreys also secured agreement for a Christmas Bonus payment at a cost of over €320 million.
The payment will be made to 1.3 million people this week including Pensioners, Carers and People with Disabilities. People will receive their Christmas Bonus on the same day that they usually receive their weekly primary payment.
Announcing the Christmas Bonus details, Minister Humphreys said:
“Christmas is a very special time of the year, but it can be an expensive period for individuals and families.
“I am pleased to announce the details of the Christmas Bonus payments today. Over 1.3 million people will benefit including our pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, and lone parents.
“The Christmas Bonus is a vital support, particularly for our senior citizens. People will receive their Bonus payment on the same day that they usually receive their weekly pension or other primary payment.
“As always, I would encourage people, where possible, to shop locally in the run-up to Christmas this year.”
Notes
Child Benefit is a monthly payment of €140 for each child. The payment for December is being doubled to €280 for each child.
Child Benefit is paid to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years.
The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 18th birthday if they are in full-time education or have a disability.
From September 2024, Child Benefit will be extended to 18-year-olds in full-time education. This will cover those at second level or otherwise while they remain in full time education (until their 19th birthday). The measure will benefit families in respect of approximately 60,000 18-year-olds.
County breakdown of Child Benefit recipients
| County | Number of families | Number of children |
| Clare | 14,958 | 28,507 |
| Cork | 72,321 | 136,186 |
| Cavan | 10,781 | 21,163 |
| Carlow | 9,001 | 16,648 |
| Donegal | 22,466 | 43,966 |
| Dublin | 172,020 | 309,397 |
| Galway | 33,746 | 64,820 |
| Kildare | 35,183 | 64,933 |
| Kilkenny | 11,697 | 22,574 |
| Kerry | 19,013 | 35,185 |
| Longford | 6,031 | 11,806 |
| Louth | 20,671 | 38,440 |
| Limerick | 26,457 | 49,882 |
| Leitrim | 4,375 | 8,636 |
| Laois | 11,762 | 22,531 |
| Meath | 30,709 | 57,904 |
| Monaghan | 8,394 | 17,111 |
| Mayo | 16,699 | 32,547 |
| Offaly | 10,530 | 19,985 |
| Roscommon | 8,145 | 16,121 |
| Sligo | 8,437 | 16,273 |
| Tipperary | 21,967 | 42,194 |
| Waterford | 16,798 | 31,367 |
| Westmeath | 13,439 | 25,370 |
| Wicklow | 21,338 | 39,282 |
| Wexford | 21,881 | 40,639 |
Christmas Bonus
The Christmas Bonus will be paid this week. Over 1.3 million people will benefit, including pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and lone parents. Recipients of Illness Benefit for longer than 12 months will also receive the bonus, as they did in 2022.