More than 1.2 million social welfare recipients are to begin receiving their partially-reinstated Christmas bonuses this week.
Recipients will get a bonus of 25 per cent of their usual weekly payment, beginning on Wednesday with 112,000 people receiving disability allowance.
The additional payment will cost the exchequer €65 million.
The Christmas bonus, traditionally an additional full payment given in the run up to the festive season, was abolished in 2009 as part of cutbacks to control spending.
The Government said it would partially reintroduce bonuses as part of Budget 2015 announcements in October.
On Thursday, more than 53,000 social welfare recipients getting invalidity pensions and 58,000 on carer’s allowance will receive their bonuses along with individuals on Community Employment, Gateway and other employment schemes.
More than 575,000 people in receipt of the State contributory and non-contributory pension, along with those getting widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s contributory pension will be paid their bonus on Friday.
Bonuses on the monthly-paid domiciliary care allowance will be received on December 16th.
Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, said she was “particularly pleased to partially restore the payment this year” to all long-term wellfare recipients.
“It will help these people to meet some of the additional costs around the Christmas season,” she said.
The Minister said the reintroduction of the bonus and other welfare measures, were “real indicators of the economic recovery and the Government’s ambition to ensure it will be a recovery felt by all”.
“We are using the economic dividend from the recovery to invest in sustainable growth, in families and communities and in vital public services,” she said.
