No Christmas bonus for short-term social welfare recipients

UP TO 200,000 people receiving short-term social welfare benefits, including many carers and those out of work due to illness, will be overlooked for one-off bonuses this Christmas.

The Government gives welfare recipients 'Christmas bonus' payments to alleviate financial difficulties at that time of year. The bonus is equivalent to the person's normal weekly benefit, meaning they get a double payment.

But the Government's policy in previous years has been to award the bonus only to those receiving long-term welfare. Social Affairs Minister Seamus Brennan has confirmed that those who get short-term payments will be excluded again from this year's bonus scheme.