When is the Christmas Bonus paid?
In 2025 it was paid in the first week of December, on the same day as each person's normal payment, and 2026 is expected to follow the same pattern. The Department of Social Protection confirms the exact dates in November; we will add them here.
You do not need to apply. If you qualify, it is paid automatically with your usual payment.
How much is it?
The Bonus is 100% of your normal weekly payment, so you get that week's payment twice. The minimum is €20. With 2026 rates:
| Payment | Weekly rate 2026 | Christmas Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| State Pension (Contributory), full rate | €299.30 | €299.30 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance (12 months or more), full personal rate | €254 | €254 |
| Disability Allowance, full personal rate | €254 | €254 |
If your payment includes an increase for a qualified adult, that is doubled too: on Disability Allowance it is €168.60 a week in 2026. Where the increase is paid directly to your spouse or partner, so is their part of the Bonus. If you get two qualifying payments, for example One-Parent Family Payment and Domiciliary Care Allowance, you get a Bonus on each.
Who gets the Christmas Bonus?
People getting a long-term payment, including:
- State Pension (Contributory and Non-Contributory)
- Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension and Disablement Benefit
- Carer's Allowance (including half-rate) and Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance
- One-Parent Family Payment, Jobseeker's Transitional Payment and Bereaved Partner's Pension
- Jobseeker's Allowance, if you have been getting it for at least 12 months (312 days)
- Illness Benefit for 12 months or more, and Supplementary Welfare Allowance for 364 days or more
- Back to Education Allowance and Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, after 12 months if you came from a jobseeker's payment
- Farm Assist, Community Employment, Rural Social Scheme and Tús
The full list is on Citizens Information.
Who doesn't get it
- People on Jobseeker's Allowance or Illness Benefit for less than 12 months, and anyone on Jobseeker's Benefit
- Fuel Allowance on its own: it is not a qualifying payment
- Child Benefit is not doubled
If you have recently lost your job, see our guide to jobseeker's payments.
Where this comes from
Who qualifies, the 100% rate, the €20 minimum and the 2025 payment week: Citizens Information, Christmas Bonus. 2026 weekly rates: Citizens Information pages for each payment. The 2026 Bonus was confirmed by the Government around Budget 2027, as reported by the Irish Examiner. Checked on 6 October 2026.
Christmas Bonus 2026: common questions
When is the Christmas Bonus 2026 paid?
Expected in the first week of December 2026, with your normal payment, as in 2025. The Department of Social Protection announces the exact dates in November.
How much is the Christmas Bonus 2026?
100% of your normal weekly payment: €299.30 on the full State Pension (Contributory) and €254 on the full personal rate of Jobseeker's Allowance or Disability Allowance. The minimum is €20.
Do I need to apply for the Christmas Bonus?
No. It is paid automatically to everyone who qualifies.
Do people on Jobseeker's Benefit get the Christmas Bonus?
No. Jobseeker's Allowance qualifies once you have been getting it for 12 months (312 days), but Jobseeker's Benefit does not.
Is Fuel Allowance doubled at Christmas?
No. Fuel Allowance is not a qualifying payment for the Christmas Bonus.