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The Christmas bonuses will be paid to all pensioners, those with a disability, unemployment assistance and all other regular recipients of social assistance.
And in a last-minute Budget 2021 deal, nine out of 10 in the PUP (Pandemic Unemployment Pay) will also receive double the money before Christmas, reportedly on Dec. 7.
Normally, you must receive a benefit for 15 months to qualify for a Christmas bonus, but this has been reduced to just four months in “exceptional time,” a government source said.
It can be combined for multiple periods in the last year, so if they let you go twice, you can add the two periods together.
A source close to the Minister of Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, said: “The Government wanted to direct support to those workers who have been most affected and have spent most of the time unemployed due to the pandemic.”
In other budget news, the Irish Mirror revealed tonight that 600 new gardai will enter Templemore next year, it will be announced tomorrow in the Budget.
This will take the Garda numbers to a record over 15,000 in a major bid to tackle gang crime across the country.
And the force will be further strengthened with another 500 civilians who will also be recruited.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee secured the funding ahead of budget announcements Tuesday afternoon.
Finance Minister Michael McGrath also agreed to finance 70 new Garda patrol cars.
These will be replacements for a fleet of rental cars that gardai had been using.
Meanwhile, pensioners will be taken care of in the Budget.
Each older person who qualifies for the fuel allowance will receive an additional € 3.50 per week in their pocket with an overall increase in this payment.
More money (an extra $ 5 a week) has been found to increase the living alone allowance for which many older people qualify.
And all pensioners will enjoy the Christmas bonus as part of the generous double payment from the Department of Social Protection to all recipients of social assistance in December.
This year a simple pension increase is not being considered.
This year’s budget will be one of the biggest giveaways ever, as the dual threat of Covid and Brexit, coupled with low borrowing costs in the markets, means the government is going to waste cash like never before. late.
In what is described in political circles as a Late Late Show budget, with a “one for all in the audience” strategy being implemented, € 5 billion will be given away.
Health will need another massive boost in the time of Covid.
The total debt that the Government is considering this year is aimed at more than 21,000 million euros.
And there will be little to no recovery from ordinary taxpayers to pay for all of this, as the government has promised absolutely no income tax increases.
A significant exception here is in relation to the carbon tax.
The Greens are in power and it is enshrined in the Government Program that carbon taxes will increase every year.
The impact this year will amount to an additional € 7.50 per tonne, which in real terms will increase the cost of filling a 60-liter car with diesel by € 1.50.
Another consumer tax hike that you can bet on as safe is another on cigarette packs.
Expect to be 20c to 50c extra in a 20 pack.
Business supports will stand out strongly this year, after the pandemic has decimated swathes if the industry and thousands of companies are on life support.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar is in charge as Business Minister here and as Taoiseach on hold again, he will be willing to share income supports with as many as possible.
The hospitality sector has been particularly hard hit and a grant system will see weekly or monthly payments for these entrepreneurs to help them get through the last phase of bar and restaurant closures and forced closures.
Sustained campaigns by tourism industry groups are very likely to bear fruit with the reintroduction of a special reduced CAT rate of 9%, up from 13.5% today.
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and the modified wage assistance plan, the TWSS (Temporary Wage Subsidy Plan) are scheduled to continue through March.
But today it is expected to be announced that this could be extended even further, to give some certainty to companies looking to plan for the future.
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