What Date Will The 2023 Christmas Bonus Be Paid ?
The annual Social Welfare Christmas bonus for weekly pensions and welfare benefits is due to be paid out in the week beginning December 4th 2023.
It will be 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 2023 payment.
If you are a long-term Illness Benefit recipient, you will receive your Christmas Bonus between Tuesday 5th December 2023 and Friday 22 December 2023
How Much is the Christmas Bonus in 2023?
The amount of the 2023 Christmas bonus was confirmed in Budget 2024 , it 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 .
The total Christmas Bonus Payment will cost over €320 million.
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.
The 2023 Christmas Bonus is not due on the Fuel Allowance or Rent Allowance.
Child Benefit is not included in the Christmas Bonus – but there will be a one off double payment of Child Benefit in December 2023. See more here about extra payments .
NOTE: There will be another double payment for all weekly welfare schemes in the last week of January 2024 . (Announced in Budget 2024) See other one off welfare payments announced here.
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. This usually happens just before Christmas – this year it will be the week commencing December 18th .
More Details here about Christmas 2023 Welfare Payment Arrangements
These are the social welfare payments that will be eligible for the 2023 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)