Christmas Bonus payments of social welfare

Rules

The Christmas Bonus was last paid in 2008. It will not be paid in 2011.

The Christmas Bonus was paid to people getting a long-term social welfare payment.

The Christmas Bonus was also paid to certain participants on FÁS, Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS), Job Initiative, Rural Social Scheme and Community Employment (CE) schemes.

People getting the following social welfare payments are eligible for a Christmas bonus:

• Back to Work Allowance
• Back to Education Allowance
• Blind Pension
• Carer's Allowance
• Half-rate Carer's Allowance
• Carer’s Benefit
• Deserted Wife's Benefit
• Deserted Wife’s Allowance
• Prisoner's Wife's Allowance
• Disability Allowance
• Farm Assist
• Guardian’s payments - formerly called Orphan’s Pension or Allowance
• Invalidity Pension
• Jobseeker’s Allowance (long-term) - formerly called Unemployment Assistance
• One-Parent Family Payment
• Pre-Retirement Allowance
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension
• State Pension (Contributory) - formerly called Old Age (Contributory) Pension
• State Pension (Non-Contributory) - formerly called Old Age (Non-Contributory) Pension
• State Pension (Transition) - formerly called Retirement Pension
• Disablement Pension
• Death Benefit by way of pension.