Social Welfare Christmas Payments to be Paid to Over 1.2 Million People in
the First Week of December
Thursday 21 November
2019
The Christmas Payment will be paid to over 1.2 million
social welfare recipients in the first week of December (week commencing Monday
2 December), with payments totalling €279.4 million being made to pensioners,
people with disabilities, carers, lone parents, long-term unemployed people and
many other recipients.
Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection,
Regina Doherty today said:
“Last year, I was particularly pleased to
announce the restoration of the additional Christmas Payment at a rate of
100%. I am very happy that despite the
current climate of uncertainty generated by Brexit, the Christmas Payment will again
be paid at a rate of 100% this year.
“This payment
recognises the seasonal needs of people who are long-term financially dependent
on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income, such as
pensioners, people with disabilities and carers. This payment will help those
people meet the extra expenses incurred over the Christmas period as well as
provide an additional boost for local economies.”
ENDS
Note for Editors
See Appendix 1 (attached) for a list of schemes for which
the Christmas Payment will be paid and the number of recipients.
See Appendix 2 (attached) for the rates of payments of these
Social Welfare payments.
Appendix 1
Recipient numbers and cost by Scheme
|
Scheme
|
2019
|
100%
Cost
|
|
Numbers
|
(€m)
|
|
State Pension Non-Contributory
|
99,389
|
22.7
|
|
Jobseeker's Allowance*
|
99,058
|
22.6
|
|
One Parent Family Payment
|
39,859
|
10.2
|
|
Widow(er)s' Pension (non-con)
|
1,325
|
0.3
|
|
Deserted Wife's Allowance
|
88
|
0.0
|
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance*
|
4,264
|
0.9
|
|
Direct Provision Allowance
|
2,275
|
0.1
|
|
Farm Assist
|
5,915
|
1.2
|
|
Community Employment
|
21,144
|
5.4
|
|
Rural Social Scheme
|
3,237
|
0.8
|
|
s
|
5,512
|
1.4
|
|
Job Initiative
|
633
|
0.3
|
|
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
|
4,277
|
0.9
|
|
Back to Education Allowance*
|
7,061
|
1.8
|
|
Back to Work Family Dividend
|
5,791
|
0.3
|
|
Disability Allowance
|
147,420
|
32.7
|
|
Blind Pension
|
1,143
|
0.2
|
|
Carer's Allowance
|
85,037
|
16.8
|
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance
|
42,709
|
3.9
|
|
Guardian's Payment (non-con)
|
541
|
0.1
|
|
Magdalen Commission Scheme
|
440
|
0.1
|
|
|
|
|
Subtotal
Assistance
|
577,118
|
122.9
|
|
|
|
|
|
State Pension (Contributory)
|
454,214
|
108.7
|
|
Widow(er)s' Surviving Civil Partners Pension
(Con)
|
126,091
|
30.4
|
|
Occupational Injuries Death Benefit
|
761
|
0.2
|
|
Deserted Wife's Benefit
|
5,780
|
1.3
|
|
Partial Capacity Benefit
|
2,961
|
0.4
|
|
Invalidity Pension
|
58,185
|
13.6
|
|
Disablement Benefit
|
14,495
|
0.7
|
|
Carer's Benefit
|
2,884
|
0.8
|
|
Guardian's Payment (Contributory)
|
1,216
|
0.3
|
|
Subtotal
Insurance
|
666,587
|
156.5
|
|
|
|
|
Total
Assistance & Insurance
|
1,243,705
|
279.4
|
*15 months duration in receipt of an eligible social welfare payment or scheme is required in order to be eligible for a Christmas Payment.
APPENDIX 2
Payment by Family Type
|
Payment & Family Type
|
Rate of Payment
|
|
<> |
|
Pensioners
|
|
|
State Pension
Contributory (SPC) Personal Rate - Single
|
€248.30
|
|
|
SPC Couple -
Personal Rate with a Qualified Adult aged 66 or over
|
€470.80
|
|
|
SPC Couple -
Personal Rate with a Qualified Adult aged under 66
|
€413.70
|
|
|
State Pension
Non-Contributory (SPNC) Personal Rate - Single
|
€237.00
|
|
|
SPNC Personal
Rate - Couple (Both entitled in their own right to the SPNC)
|
€474.00
|
|
|
SPNC Couple -
Personal Rate with a Qualified Adult aged under 66
|
€393.60
|
|
|
Pensioner Couple
- One in receipt of SPC and the other in receipt of SPNC
|
€485.30
|
|
|
Widow/er’s and
Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory Pension (WSCPCP) Personal Rate - aged
under 66
|
€208.50
|
|
|
WSCPCP Personal
Rate (under 66) with 1 child (12 years and over)
|
€245.50
|
|
|
WSCPCP Personal
Rate (under 66) with 2 children (12 years and over)
|
€282.50
|
|
|
WSCPCP Personal
Rate (under 66) with 4 children (12 years and over)
|
€356.50
|
|
|
Jobseekers
|
|
|
Jobseeker's
Allowance (JA) Personal Rate - Single
|
€203.00
|
|
|
JA Couple -
Personal Rate and Qualified Adult Rate
|
€337.70
|
|
|
JA Couple -
Personal Rate and Qualified Adult Rate
with 1 child (12 years and over)
|
€374.70
|
|
|
JA Couple -
Personal Rate and Qualified Adult Rate
with 2 children (12 years and over)
|
€411.70
|
|
|
JA Couple -
Personal Rate and Qualified Adult Rate
with 4 children (12 years and over)
|
€485.70
|
|
|
One-Parent Family Payment
|
|
|
One Parent Family
Payment Personal Rate with 1 child (Under 12 years)
|
€237.00
|
|
|
One Parent Family
Payment Personal Rate with 2 children (Under 12 years)
|
€271.00
|
|
|
One Parent Family
Payment Personal Rate with 4 children (Under 12 years)
|
€339.00
|
|
|
Carer’s Allowance
|
|
|
Carer's Allowance
Personal Rate - Aged Under 66
|
€219.00
|
|
|
Carer's Allowance
Personal Rate - Aged Under 66 with 1 child (12 years and over)
|
€256.00
|
|
|
Carer's Allowance
Personal Rate - Aged Under 66 with 2 children (12 years and over)
|
€293.00
|
|
|
Carer's Allowance
Personal Rate - Aged Under 66 with 4 children (12 years and over)
|
€367.00
|
|