The Christmas Bonus will be paid to over 1.2 million social welfare recipients this week (commencing Monday 27th November), with payments totalling €219 million being made to pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents, long-term unemployed people and many other recipients.
The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection welcomed the payment of the Bonus – paid at the rate of 85% of a person’s normal weekly payment – to over 630,000 pensioners and 580,000 other social welfare recipients.
The majority of customers will receive the Bonus this week.
“I am very pleased that the Christmas Bonus is being paid again this year,” Minister Doherty said. “Not only is it a welcome additional support for social welfare customers in the run-up to Christmas – in many cases, the money is spent locally and provides a real boost for local economies.”
Note for Editors
See Appendix 1 (attached) for a list of schemes for which the Christmas bonus will be paid and number of recipients
See Appendix 2 (attached) for examples of Christmas Bonus payments
APPENDIX 1
Recipient Numbers by Scheme
2017 Numbers
Tuilleadh Níos lú
State Pension Non-Contributory
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Jobseeker's Allowance*
Tuilleadh Níos lú
One Parent Family Payment
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Widow(er)s' Pension (non-con)
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Deserted Wife's Allowance
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Supplementary Welfare Allowance*
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Direct Provision Allowance
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Farm Assist
Tuilleadh Níos lú
re-Retirement Allowance
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Community Employment
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Rural Social Scheme
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Job Initiative
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Back to Education Allowance*
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Back to Work Family Dividend
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Disability Allowance
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Blind Pension
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Carer's Allowance
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Domiciliary Care Allowance
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Guardian's Payment (non-con)
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Magdalen Commission Scheme
Tuilleadh Níos lú
State Pension (Contributory)
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Widow(er)s' Surviving Civil Partners Pension (Con)
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Occupational Injuries Death Benefit
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Deserted Wife's Benefit
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Partial Capacity Benefit
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Invalidity Pension
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Disablement Benefit
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Carer's Benefit
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Guardian's Payment (Contributory)
Tuilleadh Níos lú
1,212,550
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Payment & Family Type
Tuilleadh Níos lú Rate of Payment
Tuilleadh Níos lú Christmas Bonus 85%
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Pensioners
Tuilleadh Níos lú
State Pension Contributory (SPC) Personal Rate - Single
Tuilleadh Níos lú
SPC Couple - Personal Rate with a Qualified Adult aged 66 or over
Tuilleadh Níos lú
SPC Couple - Personal Rate with a Qualified Adult aged under 66
Tuilleadh Níos lú
State Pension Non-Contributory (SPNC) Personal Rate - Single
Tuilleadh Níos lú
SPNC Personal Rate - Couple (Both entitled in their own right to the SPNC)
Tuilleadh Níos lú
SPNC Couple - Personal Rate with a Qualified Adult aged under 66
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Pensioner Couple - One in receipt of SPC and the other in receipt of SPNC
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Widow/er’s and Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory Pension (WSCPCP) Personal Rate - aged under 66
Tuilleadh Níos lú
WSCPCP Personal Rate (under 66) with 1 child
Tuilleadh Níos lú
WSCPCP Personal Rate (under 66) with 2 children
Tuilleadh Níos lú
WSCPCP Personal Rate (under 66) with 4 children
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Jobseekers
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) Personal Rate - Single
Tuilleadh Níos lú
JA Couple - Personal Rate and Qualified Adult (QA) Rate
Tuilleadh Níos lú
JA Couple - Personal Rate and QA Rate with 1 child
Tuilleadh Níos lú
JA Couple - Personal Rate and QA Rate with 2 children
Tuilleadh Níos lú
JA Couple - Personal Rate and QA Rate with 4 children
Tuilleadh Níos lú
One Parent Family Payment
Tuilleadh Níos lú
One Parent Family Payment Personal Rate with 1 child
Tuilleadh Níos lú
One Parent Family Payment Personal Rate with 2 children
Tuilleadh Níos lú
One Parent Family Payment Personal Rate with 4 children
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Carer's Allowance Personal Rate - Aged Under 66
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Carer's Allowance Personal Rate - Aged Under 66 with 1 child
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Carer's Allowance Personal Rate - Aged Under 66 with 2 children
Tuilleadh Níos lú
Carer's Allowance Personal Rate - Aged Under 66 with 4 children
Tuilleadh Níos lú