What happens with social welfare payments over Christmas?
Social welfare recipients will receive two payments at the same time this week.
These will be for the weeks beginning December 16th and December 23rd.
Payments due on January 1st will be made on December 31st.
People on Jobseeker’s Allowance will get two payments covering the signing weeks ending December 17th and 24th this Friday.
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Normal payment arrangements will resume on January 7th.
Is this a double payment?
No, these cover two weeks and are separate from a double payment issued at the beginning of December, which was among the measures announced as part of Budget 2025.
Christmas bonuses were paid on December 2nd to 1.38 million people, including 676,000 families who received a double child benefit payment. Double child benefit payments were paid in November and December. A parent normally in receipt of €140 a month for child benefit received €280 for both months.
Payments totalling more than €535 million to support people with the cost of living were made on that date.
Was anything else announced in the budget?
Yes, welfare increases will come into force in January.
The maximum weekly rates of Maternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit, Paternity Benefit and Parent’s Benefit are to increase by €15, while all other weekly social welfare payments will increase by €12 with proportional increases for qualified adults and people on reduced rates of payment.
The €12 increase will apply to the contributory and non-contributory State pension, Jobseeker’s Benefit and Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Further details are available on Gov.ie
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