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Social welfare Ireland: Major shake up as Christmas and New Year's payment dates confirmed

by · Irish Mirror

Some social welfare lump sum payments will hit bank accounts early this festive season as the government confirms new schedule changes for the end of 2024.

The Department of Social Protection has confirmed that people in receipt of certain payments could get them into their accounts a few days early coming up to Christmas Day.

If you receive a weekly social welfare payment, you will get your payment as usual during the week commencing Monday, December 16, and an advanced payment for the following week. This applies to payments made at post offices, by cheque or directly into your financial institution account.

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That means there will be no change to payments due on December 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, while payments due on December 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 will be paid on the week commencing December 16.

However, there is a slight change for social welfare recipients claiming on a casual basis, i.e. where dockets have been provided in advance. Two payments covering the signing weeks ending December 17 and 18 (Jobseeker’s Allowance), or December 24 and 25 (Jobseeker’s Benefit) will be paid into accounts on Friday, December 20. Normal payment arrangements for week ending December 31 and January 1 will resume on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.

Those who are getting income support from the Department of Social Protection and plan on leaving the state over the festive season have been urged to let the Department know of their absence in advance of travel. You can do this by visiting your local Intreo Centre or Branch Office.

All department offices, including Intreo Centres and Branch Offices, will be closed on December 25 and 26 and January 1, 2025.

Christmas Bonus

The Christmas Bonus will be paid in December 2024 to people who qualify for the social welfare payment. The Christmas Bonus will only be paid to you if you have been getting an eligible payment for at least 12 months. In 2024, the Christmas Bonus is 100 per cent of your normal weekly payment. The minimum Bonus amount that will be paid is €20.

You are paid a Christmas Bonus if you are getting:

  • Back to Education Allowance - people coming from jobseeker's payments need to be getting the Allowance for at least 12 months (312 days), but you may be able to use your time on your jobseeker’s payment to help you qualify.
  • Back to Work Enterprise Allowance - people coming from jobseeker's payments need to be getting the Allowance for at least 12 months (312 days), but you may be able to use time on jobseeker’s payment to help you qualify
  • Back to Work Family Dividend
  • Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds
  • Blind Pension
  • Carer's Allowance and Carer's Benefit (including half-rate Carer's Allowance)
  • Community Employment
  • Deserted Wife's Allowance and Deserted Wife's Benefit
  • Daily Expenses Allowance for 12 months or more
  • Disability Allowance
  • Disablement Benefit
  • Domiciliary Care Allowance
  • Farm Assist
  • Guardian's Payment (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
  • Illness Benefit for 12 months or more
  • Invalidity Pension
  • Job Initiative Scheme
  • Jobseeker's Allowance for 12 months (312 days or more)
  • Jobseeker's Transitional payment
  • Magdalene Commission Scheme
  • Death Benefit Scheme (under the Occupational Injuries Scheme)
  • One-Parent Family Payment
  • Partial Capacity Benefit
  • Rural Social Scheme
  • State Pension (Contributory) and State Pension (Non-Contributory)
  • Supplementary Welfare Allowance for 12 months (364 days or more)
  • Tús
  • Widow, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension (Contributory) and (Non-Contributory)
  • Work Placement Experience Programme (if your primary payment is a qualifying social welfare payment)

You will get a Christmas Bonus if you are getting a VTOS or Youthreach training allowance for at least 12 months. If you were getting a qualifying payment (see list above) immediately before your training allowance, you can combine this time to reach 12 months.

If you are getting two eligible social welfare payments (for example, a One-Parent Family Payment and the Domiciliary Care Allowance or a half-rate Carer’s Allowance as well as your primary payment), you will get the Christmas Bonus for both payments.

Fuel Allowance is not a qualifying payment for the Christmas Bonus.

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