Liz McManus
Ceist:130 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will allow people on disability benefit to avail of the Christmas bonus.
Written Answers. - Christmas Bonus.
When I first introduced the Christmas bonus in 1980, it was paid to the elderly and other pensioners, including persons who were long term ill and in receipt of invalidity pension. In 1985, it was extended to unemployed people in receipt of the long term rate of unemployment assistance. Disability benefit is a short term social insurance payment.
Last year some 655,000 people and their 395,000 dependants on long term payments were paid a Christmas bonus of 70 per cent of normal weekly payments at a cost of £31 million, which was an increase of £3 million on 1991.
Any proposal to extend the Christmas bonus to people on short term benefits would have to be considered in the context of the budget.