Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 December 2023
111. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) who was in receipt of jobseeker's assistance and illness benefit consistently for a total of 312 CPD over the past year, both payments which are eligible for the Christmas bonus, has been advised that they are not eligible for the bonus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53966/23]
View answerA Christmas Bonus payment of 100% of the appropriate weekly amount is to be paid to all recipients of long-term Social Welfare Payments, subject to a minimum Bonus payment of €20. As announced in Budget 2024, Customers in receipt of Jobseeker’s Payments who have been on these payments for 12 months / 312 Claim Paid Days (CPD) or more will receive a Christmas Bonus. In this particular case, the person concerned is in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance and had a total of 192 Claim Paid Days. Prior to his jobseeker claim, this customer was in receipt of Illness Benefit for a period and for the purposes of the Christmas Bonus his time spent on Illness Benefit does not link to Jobseekers Allowance. Therefore, the person concerned does not qualify for the Christmas bonus payment based on the eligibility criteria.
Customers in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance who had previously been in receipt of payment on certain other schemes may be entitled to the Christmas Bonus where there is a combined total of 312 Claim Paid Days. Time in receipt of Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance or Daily Expenses Allowance can count. Additionally, time spent on an Employment scheme or Training / Education course such as Community Employment, VTOS or with the Education and Training Board may also be considered when establishing entitlement to the Christmas Bonus. These are the only exceptions that establish entitlement to the Christmas bonus. Any changes to the eligibility criteria for the Christmas Bonus would have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context.
