Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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504. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the payments that are excluded from benefitting from the Christmas bonus; the way in which her Department advises persons that may expect the payment but are not due to receive it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52754/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I was pleased to announce on Budget Day that an 85% Christmas bonus would be paid this year to over 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients, such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and long-term jobseekers at a cost of €219 million. All recipients of the following schemes were eligible to receive the Bonus, which was paid as an 85% increase to the relevant weekly payment.

Social Assistance Schemes

- State Pension Non-Contributory

- One Parent Family Payment

- Widow(er)s' and Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension (Non-Contributory)

- Deserted Wife's Allowance

- Farm Assist

- Pre-Retirement Allowance

- Community Employment

- Rural Social Scheme

- Tús

- Job Initiative

- Back to Work Enterprise Allowance

- Gateway

- Back to Work Family Dividend

- Disability Allowance

- Blind Pension

- Carer's Allowance

- Domiciliary Care Allowance

- Guardian's Payment (non-con)

-Magdalen Commission Scheme

Social Insurance schemes

- State Pension (Contributory)

- Widow(er)s' Surviving Civil Partners Pension (Contributory)

- Occupational Injuries Death Benefit Pension

- Deserted Wife's Benefit

- Partial Capacity Benefit

- Invalidity Pension

- Disablement Benefit

- Carer's Benefit

- Guardian's Payment (Contributory)

In the case of recipients of Jobseeker’s Allowance, Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Direct Provision Allowance and jobseekers on the Back to Education Allowance scheme, the person must have been in receipt of an eligible payment for a minimum of 15 months in order to qualify for the Bonus.

There were no changes this year to the eligibility criteria for the Bonus. In line with previous years, social welfare schemes not listed above were not eligible payments for the Bonus this year.

The Department’s network of Intreo and branch offices and the Citizens Information Centres are available to respond to any queries by persons who may be unsure as to whether they qualified for a Bonus payment. Information on the schemes eligible for the Bonus is listed on the Department’s website and also on the Citizens Information website.