Christmas Bonus 2019 for Pensioners and Welfare Claimants

Information about the 2021 Christmas Bonus Here


Budget 2020 confirmed that a Christmas Bonus of 100% will be paid again in 2019. The Christmas Bonus will be paid out to all eligible people, along with their normal weekly payments, between December 2nd 2019 and December 6th 2019.


The Christmas Bonus will be paid out to about 1.3 million people. (About 900,000 recipients and an estimated 400,000 dependents).

In 2017 the Christmas bonus was 85% of the normal weekly rate but in 2018 it was put back up to 100%. The cost of a paying this 100% Bonus is estimated at €265 million .


2019 Christmas Bonus Payment Date : –

The Christmas bonus will be paid out along with normal weekly payments, between December 2nd 2019 and December 6th 2019.

The Christmas Bonus will be 100% of the normal weekly pension or benefit payment ). So – all recipients will get double their normal weekly payment. The minimum Christmas Bonus payment is €20 .

The Christmas Bonus does not include Fuel Allowance or Rent Allowance.


(Note: The Christmas Bonus should not be confused with the annual  “double week” of welfare and pension payments made just before Christmas. This is when one week’s payment is made in advance because of bank and post office closures.) More about the Double Payment Week 2019 Here

UK Christmas Bonus
The Christmas Bonus in the UK is just £10 and it is paid only to pensioners and people getting disability or illness related benefits.


List of all Pensions and Benefits that are eligible for the 2019 Christmas Bonus – see below :

  • Back to Education Allowance (people coming from Jobseeker’s payments must have been on their payment and/or BTEA for 15 months)
  • Back to Work Family Dividend
  • Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
  • Blind Pension
  • Carer’s Allowance and Benefit
  • Community Employment
  • Deserted Wife’s Allowance and Benefit
  • Daily Expenses Allowance (long term 15 months +)
  • Disability Allowance
  • Disablement Pension
  • Domiciliary Care Allowance (bonus based on the weekly amount )
  • Farm Assist
  • Guardian’s Payment (Non-Contributory)
  • Invalidity Pension
  • Job Initiative
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance (long-term only – over 390 days or 15 months unemployed on JB/JA)
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance (Transition)
  • Magdalen Laundry Payments
  • One-Parent Family Payment
  • Partial Capacity Benefit
  • Rural Social Scheme
  • State Pension (Contributory), (Non-Contributory) and (Transition)
  • Supplementary Welfare Allowance (long term only – over 455 days or 15 months)
  • Tus
  • Widow, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
  • VTOS (people coming from jobseeker’s payments must have been on their payment and/or VTOS for 15 months)

Payment of a Christmas Bonus is not made on the Fuel Allowance or Rent Allowance.


The Christmas bonus will not be paid to anyone who is not getting one of the payments listed above.
FIS  / Working Family Payment is not eligible, nor is Illness Benefit or Maternity Benefit .
Please do not ask us why – we don’t set the rules.

Top Money Saving Tips