A one-off, tax-free Christmas Bonus payment is available to those on benefits.
The government bonus is available to those who already claim certain benefits during the qualifying week. The date typically falls in the first full week of December.
Those eligible do not need to do anything to claim the bonus as it should be processed automatically. It also does not affect any other benefits such as Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Pension Credit.
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To receive the Christmas Bonus you need to be "ordinarily resident" in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week.
To get the bonus you must also get at least one of these benefits in the qualifying week:
- 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
The one off, tax-free, payment of £10 cannot be claimed 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 but if you think you should get it you can contact the Jobcentre Plus office that deals with your payments or the Pension Service.
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