Here’s all the information you need to know with regards to social welfare benefit payments.
No one wants to miss out on collecting social welfare benefit payments they’re entitled to so it’s important to make a note of the change in dates over the Christmas period.
Christmas, fun as it is, can also be a worrying time for a lot of people especially when it comes to money.
Between stocking up for a Christmas feast, paying increased heating bills and buying presents, your bank balance just keeps going down.
Christmas Bonus
The Christmas Bonus is an extra payment for long-term social welfare claimants and pensioners.
According to Budget 2020, the Christmas Bonus will amount to 100 per cent of your weekly payment and will be paid this year in the week starting 2 December 2019.
Department of Social Protection offices
All of the Department of Social Protection’s offices will remain closed on Christmas Day, St. Stephen’s Day and New Year’s Day.
Banks and Post Offices
Banks will close on December 25th and will not re-open until Monday 30th December 2019.
Some banks that usually open on a Saturday may do so on December 28th but that is on a branch-to-branch basis so check with your local to see if that’s the case.
Post Offices will close at 1 pm on Christmas Eve, staying closed until Friday 27th December 2019. There will be no mail delivery or mail collection services on December 25th, 26th or 27th.
Anyone paid weekly collecting their payments at the Post Office, along with anyone paid by cheque, will receive a double payment in the week starting December 16th.
That is to say, they will receive their usual weekly payment plus an advance payment for the following week – meaning that there will be no weekly payment during the week starting Monday, December 23rd.
Weekly and monthly payments due for collection on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, 1st January 2020 will be available for collection on December 31st 2019.
Payments due for collection on December 25th and 26th will be available for collection on December 23rd while benefits due for collection on December 27th will be available on December 24th.
Child benefit payments due for collection on January 7th 2020 will go ahead as normal.
Payments made directly into bank accounts
The same applies to payments made directly into bank accounts.
Claimants paid weekly into bank accounts will receive their usual payment along with an advance for the following week.
Normal payments will resume on January 2nd, 2020.
Monthly payments into bank accounts due for December 25th and 26th will be paid on December 23rd instead while payments due into accounts on December 27th will be paid on December 24th. Those due on January 1st, 2020 will be paid on December 31st, 2019.
Casual Jobseekers
Anyone claiming Casual Jobseeker’s Allowance or Benefit must return their dockets for the signing weeks ending 910 December 17/18 December and 24/25 December to their local Intreo Centre or Branch Office on or before December 11th, 2019.
Dockets provided by this date will receive two payments covering the weeks ending 17/24 December or 18/25 by Friday, December 20th, 2019.
Payments will resume as usual on January 7th 2020.
Fuel Allowance
Those who opted for two lump sums, the second lump sum will be paid during the second week of January 2020.
Check out the citizens’ information website for more information on social welfare benefit payments.
