I was pleased to announce on Budget Day that a 100% Christmas Bonus will be paid to some 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients, including pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and the long-term unemployed jobseekers, in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare payments for all or most of their income.
The Christmas bonus will be paid in the first week of December 2018 to the same categories of recipients as was the case in previous years. The following table lists the schemes that are eligible for the Christmas bonus.
State Pension Non-Contributory
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Jobseeker's Allowance*
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One Parent Family Payment
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Widow(er)s' Pension (non-con)
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Deserted Wife's Allowance
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Supplementary Welfare Allowance*
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Daily Expenses Allowance (formerly Direct Provision Allowance)*
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Farm Assist
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Community Employment
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Rural Social Scheme
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Tús
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Job Initiative
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Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
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Back to Education Allowance*
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Gateway
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Back to Work Family Dividend
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Disability Allowance
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Blind Pension
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Carer's Allowance
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Domiciliary Care Allowance
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Guardian's Payment (non-con)
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Magdalen Commission Scheme
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State Pension (Contributory)
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Widow(er)s' Surviving Civil Partners Pension (Con)
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Occupational Injuries Death Benefit
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Deserted Wife's Benefit
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Partial Capacity Benefit
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Invalidity Pension
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Disablement Benefit
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Carer's Benefit
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Guardian's Payment (Contributory)
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*15 months duration on eligible social welfare payment or scheme is required in order to be eligible for Bonus.