Killarney

<h3>A 100% Christmas Bonus is being paid this year to 41,000 people in Kerry, according to Deputy Government Chief Whip, Brendan Griffin TD.</h3>
The Christmas Bonus is paid to long-term social welfare recipients such as pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and lone parents. This year, Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys announced changes to the criteria, meaning more people will benefit.
 For example, the qualifying period for people in receipt of an eligible Jobseeker&rsquo;s payment was reduced to 12 months from 15 months.
 In addition, long-term recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) are receiving this year&rsquo;s Christmas Bonus.
 And time spent on the PUP by those who have since moved to a Jobseeker&rsquo;s payment will count towards reaching the 12-month requirement.
 As we enter the Christmas period, Deputy Griffin has urged people in receipt of the Christmas Bonus to spend it in their local communities.
 &ldquo;We all know that the Christmas period can be a very expensive time of year for families,&#8217; Deputy Griffin said.
 &ldquo;I therefore really welcome the fact that we are once again in a position to provide a 100% Christmas Bonus this year. For me, it&rsquo;s really important, where possible, that people spend their Christmas Bonus locally. We all know the difficult year that businesses in Kerry have endured due to COVID-19. By making a special effort to shop locally this year, we will support local retailers and local jobs.&rdquo;
 The bonus will be paid into people&rsquo;s bank accounts or their post offices this month, depending on the type of payment they receive.

41,000 people receive Christmas Bonus in Kerry – Griffin

DOWNLOAD AND XPLORE