Welfare Christmas Bonus – Some Details.

Posted on 8 Comments

The Social Welfare Christmas bonus that was promised in Budget 2015 is due to be paid soon.
The Christmas  bonus used to be a full week’s payment – but it was removed back in 2009/2010  by the Fianna Fail / Greens government.
The 2014 bonus will be just  25% of the normal weekly social welfare payment – with a minimum payment of €20.
According to the Dept of Social Protection – the bonus will put an extra €63 million into the economy just before Christmas. (An average of €54 per person affected)
The bonus  payment is due  to be made along with the normal weekly payment in the week commencing  December 1st 2014.

See more about other Christmas arrangements for Social Welfare

Schemes which are essentially short-term in nature are not included in the Christmas Bonus. These are illness, maternity, health and safety, adoptive, and jobseeker’s Benefit, jobseeker’s allowance (in respect of a continuous period of unemployment of less than 15 months), supplementary welfare allowance and family income supplement.

People getting the following payments will be getting the 25% Christmas Bonus :

Back to Education Allowance (only people coming from jobseeker’s payments who  have been on their payment and/or BTEA for 15 months)

Back to Work Allowance
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (long-term only – over 391 days or 15 months)
Blind Pension
Carer’s Allowance and Benefit
Community Employment
Deserted Wife’s Allowance and Benefit
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
Gateway
Guardian’s Payment (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
Invalidity Pension
Job Initiative
JobBridge (people coming from jobseeker’s payments must have been on their payment and/or JobBridge for 15 months)
Jobseeker’s Allowance (long-term only – over 390 days or 15 months)
Jobseeker’s Allowance (Transition)
Magdalen Laundry Payments
One-Parent Family Payment
Partial Capacity Benefit
Pre-Retirement Allowance
Rural Social Scheme
State Pension (Contributory), (Non-Contributory) and (Transition)
Tús
Widow, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)

8 thoughts on “Welfare Christmas Bonus – Some Details.”

  2. Why are people claiming g illness benefit not entitled to it ? After all there are people who genuinely can’t work for medical reasons.

  3. On back to education as a lone parents. Never got the bonus. Might it be paid this week with the double payment?

    • Only people coming from jobseeker’s payments who have been on their payment and/or BTEA for 15 months will get theh bonus.

  4. A load of bollox the usual people making a career outa being on the dole again. Typical of ireland

  5. Hi

    I am on a Jobbridge scheme since May 2014 (finish up in Feb 2015). Before that I was on Jobseekers Allowance for 5 months. My Social Welfare payment has been assessed jointly with my wife. We receive 288 per week plus 50 Jobbridge payment into my account (total per week 338). Am I/we entitled to Christmas bonus? Tks

    Please only publishing my first name

    Brian

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