Social welfare recipients to get early St Patrick's Day payment

As banks and post offices will be closed for the public holiday, payments that are supposed to be paid on Friday will be issued early.

Welfare payments that are due to be paid on Friday, March 17 will be paid the day before, on Thursday 16.

For part time or casual jobseekers, payments due to be paid on March 17 should be paid on Tuesday, March 21.

Next month marks the final payments of the Fuel Allowance this season. The Fuel Allowance runs from September to April, providing 28 weekly payments of €33.

The final payment date is April 10th. It is expected to resume at the end of September.

Last week it was revealed how social welfare recipients are in for a cash boost after the government announced new cost of living measures.

A €200 lump sum will be paid to all long-term recipients of a list of eligible payments.

This has been announced as part of the €410m social protection package introduced by the Government in a bid to curb the worst effects of the rising cost of living.

It is understood that the groups who received the Christmas bonus will be in line for this latest support sum.

Included in the list of eligible payments are those on Jobseekers payments or Illness Benefit for over 12 months as well as people in receipt of Working Family Payment.

In June, parents in Ireland will also receive a small boost of €100 per child - as long as the parents or guardians are receiving the Child Benefit payment.

There will also be a €100 additional payment for each child as part of the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance this year.

The government has also confirmed that the original €200 lump sum will be paid per person, rather than per eligible payment - so each person will only be entitled to one support payment.

At this point, it is understood that the once-off payment will be given out some time in the month of April.