Christmas Bonus 2022


Budget 2023 revealed that the Social Welfare and State Pension Christmas Bonus will be 100% again in 2022.


What Date Will The 2022 Christmas Bonus Be Paid ?

The Social Welfare Christmas bonus for weekly pensions and welfare benefits was paid out in the week between December 5th and December 9th 2022.

It was paid along with your regular weekly payment on your usual payment day.
If you are getting Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA), the bonus will be paid with your usual monthly December 2022 payment.
If you are a long-term Illness Benefit recipient, you will receive your Christmas Bonus between Tuesday 6 December 2022 and Friday 23 December 2022.


How Much is the Christmas Bonus in 2022?

The 2022 Christmas Bonus will be 100% of your usual weekly pension or benefit payment.
That means all eligible recipients will get a bonus amount equal to their normal weekly payment paid in addition to the normal weekly payment.
The minimum Christmas Bonus payment is €20 .


Jobseekers Christmas Bonus

If you are getting a Jobseeker’s payment you will be entitled to the Christmas bonus if: your claim has been in payment for 312 days or more, or you have been in receipt of a combination of qualifying payments for 312 days.
Time spent on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is included in the jobseeker qualifying period.



Christmas Double Payment Week

This Christmas Bonus should not be confused with the usual “double week” of weekly welfare and pension payments that are also paid out just before Christmas.
This double payment week happens because of the bank and post office closures. It is then followed by a week with no payments.

The 2022 welfare double week is expected to be the week beginning December 19th 2022 . Monthly payments are not affected.

More details here of the Christmas Welfare Payment Dates 2022


Who Will Get The Christmas Bonus in 2022?

A List of all Pensions and Benefits that will be eligible for the 2022 Christmas Bonus .

  • Back to Education Allowance in some cases
  • Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
  • Back to Work Family Dividend
  • Blind Pension
  • Carer’s Allowance
  • Carer’s Benefit
  • Community Employment Schemes
  • Daily Expenses Allowance (long term)
  • Deserted Wife’s Benefit and Allowance
  • Disability Allowance
  • Disablement Benefit
  • Domiciliary Care Allowance
  • Farm Assist
  • Guardian’s payments (Contributory and Non- Contributory)
  • Illness Benefit (over 12 months only) NEW
  • Invalidity Pension
  • Job Initiative
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance ( long term)
  • Jobseeker’s Benefit in some cases
  • Jobseeker’s Transition Payment
  • Magdalene Commission Scheme
  • One-Parent Family Payment
  • Partial Capacity Benefit
  • Part-time Job Incentive
  • Rural Social Scheme
  • State Pensions (Contributory and Non- Contributory)
  • Supplementary Welfare Allowance
  • TÚS
  • Widow’s/Widower’s/Surviving Civil Partner’s Pensions (Contributory and Non- Contributory)

New for 2022: A last-minute change is being made so that anyone in receipt of illness benefit for 12 months or more will get the bonus this year.

  • The Christmas bonus will only be paid to people who are getting one of the payments listed above.
  • FIS  / Working Family Payment is not eligible, nor Maternity Benefit . (Please do not ask us why – we don’t set the rules.)
  • The 2022 Christmas Bonus is not due on the Fuel Allowance or Rent Allowance.
  • Child Benefit is not included in the Christmas Bonus – so there will not be another double payment of Child Benefit in December. (There was a double payment in November 2022).

UK Christmas Bonus

The Christmas Bonus for pensioners in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK is usually just £10. This bonus is only payable to pensioners and people getting disability or illness-related benefits.

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