The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed when the £10 Christmas bonus will be paid to benefits claimants. The one-off, tax free payment is being made to help people with the added costs of the festive period.
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.
A spokesperson for the DWP has now confirmed that people can expect to see the money in their account this week (beginning Dec 5). They told NottinghamshireLive: "It will be paid in the first full week of December. So, throughout this week, people will receive their payment. It is paid automatically, so nobody needs to claim it."
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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.
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.
To qualify, as well as receiving one of the benefits listed below, you must also be present or 'ordinarily resident' in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week - which is also this week (beginning Dec 5).
Anyone who thinks they should receive the Christmas bonus but doesn't see it arrive should contact the Jobcentre Plus office that normally deals with their payments, or the Pension Service.
The full list of benefits that make a person eligible for the Christmas bonus is as follows:
- Adult Disability Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Child Disability Payment
- Constant Attendance Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
- 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 (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
- War Disablement Pension at State Pension age
- War Widow’s Pension
- Widowed Mother’s Allowance
- Widowed Parent’s Allowance
- Widow’s Pension
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