Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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43. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why illness benefit and family income supplement are not included in the 2015 Christmas bonus scheme. [43056/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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On Budget Day, I was pleased to announce a 75% Christmas bonus, which is being paid this week to over 1.2 million beneficiaries of all schemes to which the bonus previously applied. Illness Benefit and Family Income Supplement (FIS) were never eligible for the bonus in the past and similar arrangements apply this year.

While the short-term Illness Benefit scheme is not eligible for the bonus, long-term illness/disability payments are eligible. In this regard, persons who are permanently incapable of work may be eligible for the non-means tested Invalidity Pension (subject to satisfying the relevant medical criteria). Persons who are substantially restricted in undertaking suitable employment arising from a medical condition may be eligible for the means tested Disability Allowance (subject to the relevant medical criteria). All recipients of both of these payments are eligible for the Christmas Bonus.

As a result of Budget 2016, FIS recipients will benefit from the income thresholds increasing by €5 for families with one child and by €10 for families with two or more children from January. For a person in receipt of Family Income Supplement with two children, this will result in an increase in income of €6 per week, which is worth €312 over the course of the year.

FIS recipients will also benefit from the increase in Child Benefit by €5, from €135 to €140 per month.

Finally, FIS recipients may also benefit from the USC changes introduced by my colleague, the Minister for Finance.