Over 300,000 people currently in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will also receive the bonus this year.
Over 1.6 million recipients of social welfare and the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) will receive Christmas bonuses worth a total of €390 million next week, from Monday, 7 December.
Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, announced details of this year’s Christmas bonuses on Monday (29 November), set to be the largest Christmas Bonus ever distributed by the State.
As has been the case in previous years, a 100% Christmas Bonus will be paid to long-term social welfare recipients, such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and lone parents.
On an exceptional basis this year, meanwhile, the Christmas Bonus will also be paid to recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), provided they have been in receipt of a PUP payment – continuously or otherwise – for at least four months (17 weeks) since March.
It is estimated that 311,270 people who have been on the PUP – approximately 90% of 350,000 current recipients – will receive the Christmas Bonus, including people receiving the payment who are returning to work next week following the lifting of Level 5 restrictions from tomorrow (1 December).
Minister Humphreys has urged people in receipt of the bonus to spend it locally in order to support small businesses.
“Christmas brings many extra financial pressures and I am particularly pleased to provide a 100% Christmas Bonus this year for over 1.6 million people,” she said.
“I would strongly encourage people to spend their Christmas Bonus locally this year and support our local shops and businesses in our towns and villages throughout the country.
“This will be a €390 million injection into the Irish economy at a time when many small businesses will be reopening their doors as restrictions are eased.”
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