James Cox
A total of 1.3 million people will receive their Christmas Bonus next week at a cost of more than €300 million to the State.
Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said the payment will be made to pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, widows and lone parents.
The payment is in addition to a person’s normal weekly social welfare payment.
A further 94,080 recipients of jobseekers' allowance will also be paid along with 17,500 long-term recipients of illness benefit.
It is the first time the latter cohort will receive the payment.
Ms Humphreys said this is because these people "have worked all their lives, paid their PRSI, and then have to take time out of the workforce due to serious and possibly long-lasting health conditions".
Ms Humphreys said the payment recognises the cost of Christmas to people, particularly in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis.
“I am pleased therefore to announce that a Christmas bonus double payment will be paid next week. 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 vast majority of people are on illness benefit for a very short period of time and then return to work however there are a small cohort of people with serious medical conditions who remain on the payments for longer periods of time."
