Social welfare recipients are in for an early Christmas treat as payment dates shift ahead of the festive season.
With Christmas and New Year's fast approaching, banks and post offices will be taking a holiday break, prompting changes to when payments will be made. Last week saw thousands of social welfare recipients pocket a double payment, compensating for this week's break in the usual schedule.
If you're used to getting your weekly social welfare fix, you would have received your regular payment during the week starting Monday 16 December 2024, along with an advance for the next week, reports RSVP Live. But hold onto your hats, there's more shuffling on the horizon, as banks and post offices will also be closed on New Year's Day.
Those expecting payments on the 1st of January can breathe easy, as they'll see their funds drop into accounts a day earlier, on the 31st of December. The Department of Social Protection has laid it all out on their website, stating: "If you get a social welfare payment, the date which you receive your payment may change during the Christmas and New Year period. Details of all payment arrangements for this period are provided below."
They've also confirmed that: "If you receive a weekly social welfare payment, you will get your payment as usual during the week commencing Monday 16 December, 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."
Payment due date Payment will be made on 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 December 2024 No change 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 December 2024 week Beginning 16 December 1 January 2025 31 December 20The DSP has issued a warning: "The change in social welfare payment dates will also affect part-time, casual or short-time workers over the Christmas and New Year period. In order to ensure you receive your payments on time this month, please follow the guidelines on MyWelfare.ie on how to submit your work patterns correctly."
They added: "If you are claiming on a casual basis: where dockets have been provided in advance, two payments covering the signing weeks ending 17 and 24 December (Jobseeker's Allowance), or 18 and 25 December (Jobseeker's Benefit) will be paid into accounts on 20 December."
They concluded by saying: "Normal payment arrangements for week ending 31 December and 1 January will resume on Tuesday, 7 January 2025."
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