Young and old hit as Christmas bonus axed and under 20s payment halved

SOCIAL welfare recipients will not get a Christmas bonus payment this year while jobseekers under the age of 20 will have their welfare allowance halved to €100 a week.

The measures sparked huge criticism from young and old alike, expressing fears that pensioners may struggle to pay for heat and light at Christmas while a generation of young jobseekers are forced to emigrate.

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan linked the dumping of the traditional Christmas payment directly to the additional expenditure of more than e2.8 billion caused by the rise in joblessness since last December.