Some 1.3 million people will get a double social welfare payment this week under the ‘January Bonus’ scheme announced in the budget.

The double payment will be made to people on 32 different welfare payments and will cost the Exchequer €342 million.

The money will be paid out on the same basis as the Christmas bonus – and recipients do not need to apply for it.

It will include the core weekly rate increases that came into effect at the start of the year.

The Social Protection Minister Heather Humphries said the payment will benefit, “the likes of our pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and low-income families”.

“This is about putting more money back into your pocket and recognising that families continue to feel the pinch, particularly after the Christmas period,” she said.

The January Bonus is the ninth of the lump sum cost-of-living payments announced in Budget 2024.

The full list of payments eligible for the January Bonus is available here.