Know your Rights: Christmas Bonus

Question
I am getting a social welfare payment. Will I get a Christmas Bonus this year?

Answer
The Christmas Bonus is paid to people getting a long-term social welfare payment. It is paid the week beginning 2 December, to people getting the following payments:
- State pensions
- Widow’s/ Widower’s/ Surviving Civil Partner’s pensions
- Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension, Disability Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Guardian’s payment, Partial Capacity Benefit
- Jobseeker’s Transitional payment, One-Parent Family Payment, Farm Assist, Deserted Wife’s Benefit and Allowance, Magdalene Laundry Payment
- Community Employment, Rural Social Scheme, Tús, Gateway, Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, Job Initiative, Back to Work Family Dividend
- Back to Education Allowance (BTEA), VTOS and Further Education and Training (FET) training allowance (people coming from jobseeker's payments must have been on their payment and/or BTEA or VTOS or FET training allowance for 15 months)

For Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) or basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA), you must have been getting the payment for 15 months (390 days) to get a Christmas Bonus. However, if you were getting another eligible payment immediately before claiming JA or SWA, and your combined time on both eligible payments is 15 months, you will get the Christmas Bonus.
In 2019, the Christmas Bonus is 100% of your normal weekly payment (including the Living Alone Increase, the Island Allowance and the Over-80 Increase). Fuel Allowance is not included when calculating the Christmas Bonus. The minimum Christmas Bonus payment is €20. For Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA), which is paid monthly, the bonus is 100% of the weekly amount.
Further information is available from the Citizens Information Centre below.
Know Your Rights has been compiled by Thurles Citizens Information Centre, 2nd Floor, Mall House, Slievenamon Road, Thurles, which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Tel: 0761 07 6510 Monday to Friday 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm and Thursday night 7.30pm – 8.30pm. Information is also available online at www.citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service, 0761 07 4000.