Farm Assist recipients will get their Christmas bonus next week, Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys has confirmed.

They are among 1.4 million people, in receipt of various social welfare payments, that will get the 100% bonus, according to the Department of Social Protection.

The payment will be a minimum of €20.

A statement from the department said that Christmas bonus payments totalling over €313 million will be issued to bank accounts and post offices selected by recipients from next Monday (December 6, 2021).

Pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and long-term social welfare recipients will also get the payment.

People on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) or Jobseeker’s Allowance will need to be getting those payments for 12 months to qualify for the Christmas bonus.

Farm Assist bonus

22,630 people getting payments through the Community Employment (CE) programme will be eligible for the bonus payment.

The department says 4,700 recipients of Farm Assist, which is a means-tested payment for low-income farmers, will get the Christmas bonus.

3,150 people on the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and 6,730 participants in the Tús initiative will also qualify.

Farm Assist support requires that farm income and income from off-farm self-employment be assessed at 70% (previously 100%). There are disregards of €254 for each of the first two children, and €381 for any children after that.

These are applied first and 70% of the balance is assessed

Support local

Minister Humphreys has urged those who get the Christmas bonus to support local businesses this festive season.

“Christmas is a special time of the year but it can be a particularly expensive period for individuals and families,” the minister said.

The former Minister for Business said that the retail community is still feeling the impact of Covid-19:

“This past two years has been so difficult for our small and medium businesses. I am therefore urging everyone to consider spending the Christmas Bonus locally this year.

“If we keep our business in our towns, we will keep our towns in business,” the minister concluded.