Search
06 Dec 2025
Search
06 Dec 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Those in receipt of social welfare may receive additional bonus payments before the end of the year.
The government is preparing to make two bonus payments as part of a cost-of-living budget package.
The Christmas bonus for social welfare payments will be as normal however additional bonus payments will be given immediately after The October Budget.
The bonus payments are expected to cost €300m a piece.
The government have stressed cost-of-living will be taken into account in the budget with rent, energy bills and more elements at the top of their agenda's.
READ NEXT: 23C Indian Summer forecast for National Ploughing but it's not all good news
Minister Heather Humphreys said: "So this year I am looking at maybe reducing that age to those over 66 when you retire."
Anyone over 70 currently can receive a €33-a-week fuel allowance, if they don't have an income more than €512 a week for a single person or €1,024 for a couple.
Minister Humphreys said she has "discussed" a €60 one-off payment which was suggested by Minister Roderic O’Gorman, to help parents with increased bills with a newborn.
“I have discussed it with my officials and I actually think it’s a good idea,” Ms Humphreys said.
“But again, these things all have to be considered in the context of the budget,” she said.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
