Question: I am in receipt of a weekly social welfare payment and I am wondering if I will get the Christmas bonus?
Answer: In general, the Christmas bonus is an extra payment paid to people in receipt of an eligible long-term social welfare payment. In 2021, people getting the following payments will get a Christmas bonus:
- Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
- Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP)
- Blind Pension
- Carer’s Allowance and Benefit (including half-rate Carer’s Allowance)
- Community Employment
- Deserted Wife’s Allowance and Benefit
- Daily Expenses Allowance, formerly called Direct Provision Allowance
- Disability Allowance
- Disablement Pension and Widow’s Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension under the Occupational Injuries Scheme
- Domiciliary Care Allowance
- Farm Assist
- Guardian’s Payment (Contributory) and Non-Contributory)
- Invalidity Pension
- Job Initiative
- Jobseeker’s Allowance (for at least 104 days)
- Jobseeker’s Transitional payment
- Magdalene Laundry Payment
- One-Parent Family Payment
- Partial Capacity Benefit
- Rural Social Scheme
- State Pension Contributory and Non-Contributory
- Supplementary Welfare Allowance (long-term only)
- Tús
Question: How much is the Christmas bonus?
Answer: In 2021, the Christmas bonus will be 100 per cent of your normal weekly payment but it does not include the fuel allowance. The minimum Christmas bonus payment is €20.
If an Increase for a qualified adult is paid directly to your dependent spouse, civil partner or cohabitant, the Christmas bonus is also paid directly to them.
If you are getting two eligible social welfare payments (for example, a One-Parent Family Payment and the Domiciliary Care Allowance or a half-rate Carer’s Allowance as well as your primary payment) you get the Christmas bonus for both payments.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, you can find comprehensive integrated information online at citizensinformation.ie/covid19/ and you can get daily updates on what’s changed on
Twitter at @citizensinfo. You can also get information and advice from the Tralee centre on 0818-07-7860 on Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm).
To contact the Citizens Information phone service call 0818-07-4000 from Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm
Visit citizensinformation.ie/callback to request a phone call from an information officer
