Vol. 483 No. 4
39 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when the Christmas social welfare bonus will be paid; if it will be extended to those in receipt of long-term disability benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20465/97]
The Christmas bonus will be paid in the first week of December. It will be paid to 722,000 social welfare recipients in receipt of disablement pension, death benefit by way of pension, old age (contributory and non-contributory) pensions, retirement pension, invalidity pension, widow's and widower's non-contributory pension, widow's and widower's contributory pension, orphan's (contributory and non-contributory) pensions, pre-retirement allowance, blind pension, carer's allowance, one-parent family payment, payments to people formerly in receipt of deserted wife's benefit and allowance and prisoner's wife's allowance, unemployment asisstance at the long-term rate and disability allowance.
The bonus payment will amount to 70 per cent of the person's normal weekly payment subject to a minimum payment of £20. The cost of this measure is estimated at £41 million.
The bonus is paid to those who are sick or disabled and in receipt of invalidity pension or disability allowance. It is not payable to people in receipt of disability benefit.
