The return of the bonus was confirmed during last month’s Budget 2026 announcement
Stock image(Image: Getty)
Long-term social welfare recipients will be paid the Christmas Bonus again this year.
The return of the bonus was confirmed during last month’s Budget 2026 announcement. The payment will be issued to 1.5 million long-term social welfare recipients.
It will be paid at the the usual rate of 100 per cent of the weekly payment at a cost of €370 million. While the Department of Social Protection are yet to confirm the exact date, the Christmas Bonus is usually issued during the first week of December.
It is expected that those eligible for the double payment will receive it during the week starting December 1.
Here is a full list of the social welfare payments that qualify for the Christmas Bonus:
- Back to Education Allowance – people coming from jobseeker’s payments need to be getting the Allowance for at least 12 months (312 days), but you may be able to use your time on your jobseeker’s payment to help you qualify.
- Back to Work Enterprise Allowance – people coming from jobseeker’s payments need to be getting the Allowance for at least 12 months (312 days), but you may be able to use time on jobseeker’s payment to help you qualify
- Back to Work Family Dividend
- Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds
- Blind Pension
- Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit (including half-rate Carer’s Allowance)
- Community Employment
- Deserted Wife’s Allowance and Deserted Wife’s Benefit
- Daily Expenses Allowance for 12 months or more
- Disability Allowance
- Disablement Benefit
- Domiciliary Care Allowance
- Farm Assist
- Guardian’s Payment (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
- Illness Benefit for 12 months or more
- Invalidity Pension
- Job Initiative Scheme
- Jobseeker’s Allowance for 12 months (312 days or more)
- Jobseeker’s Transitional payment
- Magdalene Commission Scheme
- Death Benefit Scheme (under the Occupational Injuries Scheme)
- One-Parent Family Payment
- Partial Capacity Benefit
- Rural Social Scheme
- State Pension (Contributory) and State Pension (Non-Contributory)
- Supplementary Welfare Allowance for 12 months (364 days or more)
- Tús
- Bereaved Partner’s Pension (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
- Work Placement Experience Programme (if your primary payment is a qualifying social welfare payment)
Child Benefit and the Fuel Allowance are not qualifying payments for the Christmas Bonus. Other measures announced in the Budget include a €10 weekly hike for social welfare payments, an increase in the income disregard for the Carer’s Allowance and widened eligibility for the Fuel Allowance and Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance.
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