Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 December 2020
358. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection the social welfare payments considered when assessing eligibility for the Christmas bonus for persons with a combination of payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43067/20]
View answerLast week, my Department paid €390 million in a Christmas Bonus to some 1.6 million people who are receiving long-term weekly welfare payments.
The Christmas Bonus is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in recognition of their long term financial dependence on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income.
In recognition of the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on employment levels and the sudden financial impact on individuals, the Bonus has, on a once-off basis only, been paid this year to those in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment for a period of four months or more and who were in payment on the date the Bonus was paid. It was also paid to people on Jobseeker's Allowance, Jobseeker's Benefit, Part-Time Job Incentive and Back to Education Allowance who have been in receipt of these payments for four months or more.
In calculating the claim duration of recipients of these schemes for the purpose of the Christmas Bonus, account was taken of time spent on the following schemes - Jobseeker's Allowance, Jobseeker's Benefit, Part-Time Job Incentive, Jobseeker's Transition Payment, One Parent Family Payment, Farm Assist, Back to Work Allowance, Back to Work Family Dividend, Back to Education Allowance, Pandemic Unemployment Payment, Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Community Employment, Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme, TUS and Daily Expenses Allowance. In addition, time spent attending an Education and Training Board or Solas course could also be taken into account.
I trust the clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
