Some 13,503 pensioners in Louth are to benefit from the payment of the 25% Christmas bonus this December, according to Labour Senator Mary Moran.
The news comes as an information campaign advising elderly people on how the Budget benefits them was launched this week.
It is being co-ordinated by Tanaiste Joan Burton and Labour Minister for Older People, Kathleen Lynch, with the help of their colleagues in the Labour party.
“I am pleased to confirm that approximately 13,503 pensioners in Louth will receive the 25% Christmas bonus next month.
“Christmas can be a time of greater financial strain for people, especially those on fixed incomes, and this payment will offer them some extra leeway with their personal budget ahead of the busy Christmas period. Pensioners, carers, jobseekers and those in receipt of one-parent family payment in the county will benefit from this Christmas bonus.”
The campaign will target 80,000 pensioners nationwide over the next few weeks through a series of information leaflets, local radio interviews and social media activity.
Moran says: “Sometimes in the aftermath of the Budget, information about certain measures and their impact can get lost in the noise, which is why we have decided to launch an awareness campaign for pensioners. It’s important they have clarity on how exactly the Budget benefits them and Ministers Burton and Lynch will be to the forefront of this effort.
“Not only will the partial restoration of the Christmas bonus benefit our pensioners, but they will also be helped by an increase in the Living Alone Allowance, from €7.70 to €9 a week. It may be a small increase, but it’s the first increase of its kind since 1996 and underlines how we want to support the elderly in our communities.
“Meanwhile, a decision to end the 0.6% pension levy this year, and the 0.15% pension levy at the end of 2015, will also provide a boost to pensioners’ incomes.
“The very important Seniors Alert Scheme has also been prioritised. The Budget saw some €133 million secured for investment in community programmes, and this includes the Scheme, which supports the provision of monitored alarms to enable pensioners of limited means to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence.
“Extending free GP care to over 70s is also a work in progress, with our hope being that in 2015, over 2.1 million people will have either a medical card or a GP card, and this includes our extension of GP coverage to the over 70s.
“I would urge anyone looking for further information about how the Budget benefits them to contact my office or to log onto www.labour.ie.”
No comments:
Post a Comment