The Dept. of Employment and Social Protection changed all weekly payments of social welfare payments to fortnightly in March 2020 .
The main reason for the change to Fortnightly Welfare and Pension payments was to reduce visits to Post Offices and reduce infection risks.
But the changes to fortnightly payments also affected payments made to post offices and bank accounts.
The first “double” payment giving two weeks of entitlement was made to State Pensioners and some social welfare schemes in the week beginning 23rd March. The remaining welfare payments had their first fortnightly payment in the week beginning 30th March .
The new temporary COVID-19 Unemployment Payment was paid weekly every Tuesday.
Some Payments Revert To Weekly
On May 18th – the following payments went back to being paid weekly.
These payments are all paid directly into bank accounts. Post Office collection is not an option -so they should probably never have been changed to fortnightly.
- Maternity Benefit
- Paternity Benefit
- Adoptive Benefit
- Parent’s Benefit
- Health and Safety Benefits
More Payments Going Back to Weekly
Details of the welfare payments going back to being paid weekly from August 2020.
After August 17th 2020- only the following payments remain as fortnightly..
- Blind Pension
- Carer’s Allowance
- Carer’s Benefit
- Death Benefit
- Deserted Wife’s Allowance
- Deserted Wife’s Benefit
- Disability Allowance
- Disablement Benefit
- Employment Support Scheme
- Guardians Payment
- Incapacity Supplement
- Increase for Living on an Island
- Invalidity Pension
- Magdalen Commission Scheme
- Medical Care
- State Pension Contributory
- State Pension Non-Contributory
- Wage Subsidy Scheme
- Widow(er)s Pension Contributory
- Widowed Parent Grant
- Widowed Parent Grant
- Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension
- Youth Employment Support Scheme
- Part-time Job Incentive
- Short Term Enterprise Allowance
There were also be some changes to payment dates because of Easter Holidays. See details of Welfare Payments at Easter 2020 Here
You can avoid having to collect payments at Post Offices altogether by requesting they be paid into your bank account. You just have to fill in this form and return it – but there will probably be a delay because of all the changes going on at the moment.
More alternatives to Post Office collection