Millions of Universal Credit claimants across the UK are entitled to a special one-off tax-free Christmas bonus this year. The aim of the payment is to help people with added costs during the festive period.
The cash should have already started dropping into people's bank accounts as DWP confirmed payments would be sent out from the week of December 5. The bonus is paid to people who receive one of a number of DWP benefits, including Pension Credit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). People do not need to claim the money as it should be sent automatically.
Universal Credit (UC) claimants are not covered by the bonus, although many people on UC may also receive one of the other qualifying benefits, or the State Pension, which would make them eligible, reports Nottinghamshire Live.
READ MORE: DWP: Christmas 2022 payment dates for Universal Credit, PIP and Child Benefit
What is the Christmas bonus? How much is it?
The Christmas bonus is a one-off tax-free £10 payment made before December 25, paid to people who get certain benefits in the qualifying week. This is normally the first full week of December, which is when you can expect to get your payment.
Receiving the bonus will not affect any other benefits you get. It will be paid into the account that your benefits normally go to and the reference is likely to show up as "DWP XB" on your bank statement.
How do I know if I'm eligible?
To get a Christmas bonus you must be present or ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week.
If you live in or are moving to a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, find out about benefits for UK nationals in the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
You must also get at least one of the following benefits in the ‘qualifying week’:
- Armed Forces independence payment
- Attendance allowance
- Carer’s allowance
- Child disability payment
- Constant attendance allowance
- Contribution-based employment and support allowance (once the main phase of the benefit is entered after the first 13 weeks of claim)
- Disability living allowance
- Incapacity benefit at the long-term rate
- Industrial death benefit (for widows or widowers)
- Mobility supplement
- Pension credit - the guarantee element
- Personal independence payment (PIP)
- State pension (including graduated retirement benefit)
- Severe disablement allowance (transitionally protected)
- Unemployability supplement or allowance
- War disablement pension at state pension age
- War widow's pension
- Widowed mother's allowance
- Widowed parent's allowance
- Widow’s pension
If you have not claimed your state pension and are not entitled to one of the other qualifying benefits you will not get a Christmas bonus.
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How do I claim it?
You do not need to claim the Christmas bonus - you should get it automatically. If you think you should get it but have not, contact the Jobcentre Plus office here, or the pension service.
What else should I know?
If you’re part of a married couple, in a civil partnership or living together as if you are and you both get one of the qualifying benefits you’ll each get a Christmas bonus payment.
If your partner or civil partner does not get one of the qualifying benefits, they may still get the Christmas bonus if both the following apply:
- you’re both over state pension age by the end of the qualifying week
- your partner or civil partner was also present (or ‘ordinarily resident’) in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland during the qualifying week
They'll get it if they also either:
- you’re entitled to an increase of a qualifying benefit for your partner or civil partner
- the only qualifying benefit you’re getting is pension credit
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