1.2 million Social Welfare recipients to get Christmas bonus

The Christmas Bonus will be paid to over 1.2 million social welfare recipients this week (commencing today, Monday, December 3), with payments totalling €264.3 million being made to pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents, long-term unemployed people and many other recipients.

Emphasising that the bonus payment was at the level of 100%, the first time since 2008, Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty said: “Benefitting all recipients of long-term social welfare payments including carers, people with disabilities, pensioners, and lone parents, the bonus is timed to assist people with the extra expenses occurred over Christmas. In many homes across Ireland, families depend on this bonus and - owing to sound economic and fiscal management by the Government -  this will be the first time in a decade in which we can make a 100% Christmas Bonus and provide increased support at this time of the year.”