Welfare: Boost for long-term PUP recipients before paying their 2021 Christmas bonus next week

The Christmas bonus is due in a few days, and those receiving pandemic unemployment payments have been given an eligibility boost.

According to Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys, any long-term PUP recipients who have made payments for at least a year will now be in line for the bonus amount.

After announcing the shortening of the qualifying time frame to 12 months from 15, Humphries said that time spent by people who have since transitioned to PUP’s job seeker payments will count toward reaching the requirements.

The 2021 Christmas bonus will be 100% of your usual weekly pension or benefit payments.

This means that you will receive a bonus amount equal to their normal weekly payment in addition to the normal weekly payment – with a minimum of €20 on the cards.

Those who receive the following payments will receive the bonus:

• State pensions and civil partner pensions for widows/widowers/survivors
• Disability Pension, Blind Pension, Disability Allowance, Caregiver Allowance, Sponsor’s Allowance, Partial Ability Allowance, Disability Allowance, Home Care Allowance, Guardian Payment
• Parents’ Family Payments, Long-Term Job Seekers Allowance, Long-Term Pandemic Unemployment Payments, Job Seekers’ Relocation Payments, Abandoned Wife’s Benefits and Allowances, and Farmer Assistance
• Back to Work Foundation Allowance, Community Employment, Rural Social Scheme, TÚS, Portal and Job Initiative, Supplemental Care Allowance, Daily Expense Allowance, and the Magdalene Commission System.

The Christmas bonus is not to be confused with the usual « double week » of welfare and pension payments that are also paid just before Christmas.

This double payment week occurs because the bank and post office are closed and is followed by a week without payments.

The 2021 Double Welfare Week is expected to be the week of December 13, 2021.