The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, has today announced payment details for the Christmas Bonus which will be paid to approximately 1.3 million people next week.
The payment will be made to pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, widows and lone parents and will be paid next week in addition to a person’s normal weekly payment.
The Christmas Bonus is also to be extended to long-term recipients of Illness Benefit. This means people in receipt of Illness Benefit for 12 months or longer will now receive the payment. They will receive their Christmas Bonus between Tuesday, 6 December and Friday, 23 December.
When announcing the payment Minister Humphreys said: “Christmas is a very special time of the year, but it can be an expensive period for individuals and families, particularly given the current cost of living.
“I am pleased therefore to announce that a Christmas Bonus Payment will be paid next week. This payment is designed to put more money in the pockets of our pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, widows and lone parents.
“I’m particularly pleased that this year’s Christmas Bonus will be extended to people on long-term Illness Benefit for the first time.”
The minister also encouraged people to support local businesses this holiday season.
“This year has also been a challenging one for small business and I would encourage people, where possible, to shop locally in the run-up to Christmas this year.”
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