Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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159. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline the reason pensioners who became recipients of the State pension on dates after November 2016 were not eligible for the 85% Christmas bonus; his plans to address this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12520/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Christmas Bonus payment was increased to 85% last year and was paid to over 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in the first week of December at a cost of €220 million.

The bonus is paid as an increase to a recipient’s weekly payment in the relevant week. For recipients of a State Pension, the relevant week was the 2^ndto the 8^thof December 2016 inclusive, as outlined in social welfare legislation (S.I. 570 of 2016). Accordingly, any person in receipt of a State Pension in November would be eligible for the Bonus payment in December.

I understand that my officials have been in contact with your office to determine whether there was a specific case behind your question. It transpires that in the particular case referenced, the person began to receive their pension payment from the 9^thof December, which is unfortunately outside the relevant week of payment for the Christmas Bonus.