Written answers

Tuesday, 1 December 2020

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Social Welfare Benefits

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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515. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the Christmas bonus will be paid; the categories of social welfare recipients that will receive same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40483/20]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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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.

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

People in receipt of the following payments will receive the Bonus:

- State Pensions and Widow’s/Widower’s/Surviving Civil Partner’s Pensions ;

- Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension, Disability Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Partial Capacity Benefit, Disablement Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and Guardian’s payments;

- One-Parent Family Payment, Jobseeker’s Transition Payment, Deserted Wife’s Benefit and Allowance and Farm Assist;

- Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, Back to Education Allowance (over four months), Community Employment, Rural Social Scheme, TÚS, Gateway and Job Initiative;

- Supplementary Welfare Allowance (over 15 months), Daily Expenses Allowance (over 15 months), Magdalene Commission Scheme;

- On an exceptional basis this year, recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and equivalent recipients of Jobseeker’s Payments who have been on these payments for seventeen weeks or more.

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