Social Welfare Christmas and New Year Payment Dates
From Department of Social Protection
Last updated on
For week commencing:
- Monday 1 December Pandemic Unemployment Payment Arrears were paid
- Monday 7 December The Christmas Bonus is paid for long-term and some short-term social welfare payments
Tuesday 8 December Pandemic Unemployment Payment Christmas bonus
- Monday 14 December Domiciliary Care Allowance payments include Christmas Bonus and all other social welfare payments paid as normal.
- Monday 21 December You will receive your usual payment and an advance 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 |
| 21 and 22 December | 21 December |
| 23 and 24 December | 22 December |
| 25 December and 1 January | 23 December |
| Payment due date | Payment will be made on |
| 24 December | 22 December |
| 25 and 28 December | 23 December |
| 29 December | 24 December |
| 30 December | 30 December |
Payments will be paid on normal dates from 4 January 2021.
Where dockets have been provided in advance, two payments covering the signing weeks ending 22 and 29 December or 23 and 30 December will be paid into accounts on Wednesday 23 December .
Normal payment arrangements for week ending 5 and 6 January will resume on Tuesday, 12 January 2021.
A 100% Christmas Bonus will be paid in the week beginning 7 December 2020 for long-term social welfare schemes and some short term schemes.
Some people receiving the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment will receive the bonus which will be paid 8 December 2020.
You will receive the bonus if you are getting:
- Back to Education Allowance in some cases
- Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
- Back to Work Family Dividend
- Blind Pension
- Carer’s Allowance
- Carer’s Benefit
- Community Employment Schemes
- COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment in some cases
- Daily Expenses Allowance
- Deserted Wife’s Benefit and Allowance
- Disability Allowance
- Disablement Benefit
- Domiciliary Care Allowance (paid on 15 December)
- Farm Assist
- Guardian’s payments (Contributory and Non- Contributory)
- Invalidity Pension
- Job Initiative
- Jobseeker’s Allowance ( long term)
- Jobseeker’s Allowance in some cases
- Jobseeker’s Benefit in some cases
- Jobseeker’s Transition Payment
- Magdalene Commission Scheme
- One-Parent Family Payment
- Partial Capacity Benefit
- Part-time Job Incentive
- Rural Social Scheme
- State Pensions (Contributory and Non- Contributory)
- Supplementary Welfare Allowance
- TÚS
- Widow’s/Widower’s/Surviving Civil Partner’s Pensions (Contributory and Non- Contributory)
If you are receiving the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payments or a short-term Jobseeker’s payment you are entitled to the Christmas bonus if:
- you were entitled to a payment for a total of 17 weeks since the 13 March, and
- you are receiving the payment for the week 27 November to 3 December
The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment Christmas Bonus will be paid on Tuesday 8 December.
This year, if you are getting a Jobseeker’s payment you are entitled to a Christmas bonus the week commencing 7 December if:
- your claim has been in payment for 104 days or more, or have been in receipt of a combination of qualifying payments for 104 days, and
- you are receiving the payment for the week
2 – 8 December for Jobseekers Allowance
3 – 9 December for Jobseeker’s Benefit