Heather Humphreys reveals dates for Christmas bonus double ...

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys confirmed the dates today.

Both payments were previously announced as a part of Budget 2025.

Over 1.38 million people are due to receive the Christmas Bonus payment which provides a 100 percent increase in the weekly rate of payment for eligible recipients.

Eligible recipients of this payment include those receiving Jobseekers’ Allowance, pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and lone parents.

Recipients of Illness Benefit for longer than 12 months will also receive the bonus, as they have done in recent years.

The Christmas bonus of double social welfare is due to arrive this week on the same day a claimant collects their primary payment.

676’000 families are expected to receive a double Child Benefit payment on Tuesday, December 3.

Child Benefit is a monthly payment of €140 for each child. The payment for November and December has been doubled to €280 for each child.

Child Benefit is paid to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years.

The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 19th birthday if they are in full-time education or have a disability.

“This week, we are rolling out more lump sum payments that I secured as part of Budget 2025,” Minister Humphreys said.

“Throughout the week some 1.4 million people will receive the Christmas Bonus payment. This will support people up and down the country including pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and working families,” she added.

The minister said that the payments will translate as extra money in families’ pockets in the lead up to Christmas and will ease the pressure that many households are facing.

“In addition to the Christmas Bonus, on Tuesday we will have the second of our double Child Benefit payments that will support over 1.27 million children across the State. This means that families will receive payments of €280 per child tomorrow.