Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 October 2014
155. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if recipients of part-time jobseeker's benefit will receive the 25% Christmas bonus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40101/14]
View answerI announced in Budget 2015 that a 25% Christmas bonus will be paid this year to recipients of certain social welfare payments. Where payable, the minimum bonus to be paid will be €20 and the measure as a whole is expected to benefit over 1.16m people.
The Christmas bonus was introduced in 1980 and was last paid in 2008. In that year (and in previous years), the Bonus was not paid to persons who had been in receipt of jobseekers’ payments for less than 15 months. Accordingly, it was not paid to recipients of jobseeker’s benefit. It was also not paid to recipients of jobseeker’s allowance who were in receipt of that payment for less than 15 months (time spent on jobseeker’s benefit prior to receipt of jobseeker’s allowance was taken into account in calculating the duration of unemployment).
Similar arrangements will apply in relation to payment of the 25% Bonus this year. Recipients of jobseeker’s allowance who are also engaged in part-time employment can qualify for a Bonus if they have been in receipt of the payment for 15 or more months.
