Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

161. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 401 of 28 February 2023, if participants who were on a qualifying payment for over a year and have recently been moved to another qualifying payment will still be eligible to receive the announced bonus payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11852/23]

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

The €200 lump sum payment, which will be paid to over 1.3 million recipients in receipt of long-term social welfare payments. This lump sum will be paid in April and will cost approximately €261 million.

This support will be paid on a similar basis to the Christmas Bonus, including to those on jobseeker's payments or Illness Benefit for over 12 months; with the addition of recipients of the Working Family Payment. One lump sum will be paid per person. If a person receives more than one qualifying social welfare payment, they will receive one €200 lump sum payment.

For example, recipients of a jobseeker payment, who were previously on another scheme, may be entitled to the lump sum where there is a combined duration of one year or more. For example, time spent on Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance or Daily Expenses Allowance can count towards entitlement to the lump sum. Similarly, time spent on an employment scheme or training/education courses may also be considered when establishing entitlement to the lump sum as a jobseeker.

If the Deputy had a particular circumstance in mind I am happy for my officials to examine such a scenario in more detail.