Christmas bonus welfare payments to be paid to 1.5m people this week

Almost 1.5 million people in the poorest households will receive the welfare Christmas bonus this week as many experience what Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary described as “pressure ... in the run up to Christmas”.

He announced payment arrangements to long-term welfare recipients including pensioners, carers, disabled people, the unemployed, and lone parents.

The bonus is worth 100 per cent of their payment, meaning recipients - 1,471,000 in all - will get a double-payment of their welfare amount.

These are worth between €244 per week for payments like the one parent family payment and jobseekers benefit, to €261 for carer’s allowance, to €289.30 for the state pension (contributory).

“I am very conscious of the pressure families are under particularly in the run up to Christmas,” said Minister Calleary. “The Christmas bonus is a vital support, particularly for our senior citizens.

“That’s why I am pleased to announce the details of the Christmas Bonus Payments today. 1.5 million people will benefit including our pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, and lone parents.

“People will receive their bonus payment on the same day that they usually receive their weekly pension or other primary payment.”

There is no Christmas bonus in respect of child benefit.

Payments totalling €370 million will be issued to a total of 1,471,000 people.

“As always, I would encourage people, where possible, to shop locally in the run-up to Christmas this year,” said Minister Calleary. “By shopping locally, you are supporting your local economy, your local community and your local small businesses.”

The payment will go to 348,200 people in Dublin, 159,100 in Cork and 64,300 in Limerick. The counties with the fewest recipients will be Leitrim (11,800), Longford (13,900) and Monaghan (18,600).

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