Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

496. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the qualifying criteria for recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment to qualify for the Christmas bonus for social welfare recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40265/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Christmas Bonus will be paid in the week beginning 7th December to social welfare recipients, such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and lone parents in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on social welfare payments for all, or most, of their income.

In recognition of the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on employment levels and the sudden financial impact on individuals, the Bonus will be paid this year, on an exceptional basis, to people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment for a period totalling 17 weeks or more and who are in payment on the date the Bonus is paid. It will also be paid to people on jobseeker payments who have been in receipt of these payments for four months or more.

As the PUP payment week runs from Friday to Thursday, any person in receipt of PUP for any one day of the period Friday, 27th November to Thursday, 3rd December, will receive the Christmas Bonus payment on Tuesday, 8th December as long as they have accrued 17 weeks on the payment in total.

In total, the Bonus will be paid to 1.6 million people, at a cost of €390 million.