Christmas Bonus Confirmed for December 2025 — Over 1.5 Million to Benefit, But Not All Qualify

Dublin, Oct. 8, 2025 — The long-anticipated Christmas Bonus for social welfare recipients has been officially confirmed as part of Budget 2026, offering a welcome financial boost to around 1.5 million long-term welfare recipients. However, the Department of Social Protection has clarified that not all claimants will be eligible for the payment.

The bonus — traditionally paid at 100% of a person’s weekly entitlement — will cost the state approximately €370 million this year. The Department announced that the payment will be made in December 2025, though an exact date has not yet been specified. Based on previous years, the Christmas Bonus is expected to be issued during the week beginning Monday, December 1, 2025.

Eligibility and Exclusions

The Department emphasized that the bonus applies only to long-term and qualifying welfare schemes, excluding short-term benefits. Those receiving Jobseeker’s Benefit for less than 12 months, or new benefit claimants, will not qualify. Similarly, Child Benefit and Fuel Allowance recipients will not receive the bonus.

Qualifying Payments for the 2026 Christmas Bonus

A total of 29 social welfare schemes are eligible for the bonus. These include:

• Back to Education Allowance (after at least 12 months on a qualifying payment)

• Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (after at least 12 months on a qualifying payment)

• Back to Work Family Dividend

• Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds

• Blind Pension

• Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit (including half-rate Carer’s Allowance)

• Community Employment

• Deserted Wife’s Allowance and Deserted Wife’s Benefit

• Daily Expenses Allowance (for 12 months or more)

• Disability Allowance

• Disablement Benefit

• Domiciliary Care Allowance

• Farm Assist

• Guardian’s Payment (Contributory and Non-Contributory)

• Illness Benefit (for 12 months or more)

• Invalidity Pension

• Job Initiative Scheme

• Jobseeker’s Allowance (for 12 months or more)

• Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment

• Magdalene Commission Scheme

• Death Benefit Scheme (under the Occupational Injuries Scheme)

• One-Parent Family Payment

• Partial Capacity Benefit

• Rural Social Scheme

• State Pension (Contributory and Non-Contributory)

• Supplementary Welfare Allowance (for 12 months or more)

• Tús

• Bereaved Partner’s Pension (Contributory and Non-Contributory)

• Work Placement Experience Programme (if your main payment is a qualifying social welfare payment)

Additional Welfare Measures in Budget 2026

The Budget 2026 package also introduced several other key supports to ease the cost of living:

• A €10 weekly increase in all core social welfare payments effective January 2026.

• An increase in the income disregard for Carer’s Allowance.

• A €20 rise in the Domiciliary Care Allowance, bringing the monthly payment to €380.

• The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will now extend to two- and three-year-olds.

• The Fuel Allowance threshold has been widened to include Working Family Payment recipients, with the weekly rate increasing from €33 to €38.

The confirmation of the Christmas Bonus — alongside these broader welfare measures — is being viewed as a major component of the government’s effort to support lower-income households ahead of the winter season and the new financial year.