The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will pay out a Christmas bonus to thousands of benefit claimants this year.
Those eligible don’t need to do anything to secure the £10 payment, with it dropping into claimants’ bank accounts automatically sometime before Christmas, usually the first week of December.
"The Christmas Bonus is a one-off tax-free £10 payment made before Christmas, paid to people who get certain benefits in the qualifying week,” states the DWP. “This is normally the first full week of December. You do not need to claim - you should get paid automatically."
Usually, the payment will arrive with the reference ‘XB’ or ‘DWP XB’, so you know it’s legitimate.
Who is eligible for the DWP Christmas bonus?
The annual £10 payment is only available to those who claim qualifying benefits in the first week of December, as well as residing in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar.
That includes carer’s allowance, personal independence payment (PIP), and pension credit, to name just a few, but claiming universal credit alone does not qualify you.
The qualifying benefits are:
- Adult Disability Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Carer Support Payment
- 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 Age Disability Payment
- Pension Credit - the guarantee element
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA)
- Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected)
- State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
- 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
For couples who are married, in a civil partnership, or cohabiting (in certain circumstances), you will both receive a payment if both are receiving one of these qualifying benefits separately.
Some have called on the government to increase the £10 bonus over the years, with the amount having not changed since 1972.
Calculating for inflation, £10 would be worth £119.12 according to the Bank of England’s inflation calculator, highlighting how the value of the festive bonus has dipped over the year.
The government has shown no sign of intending to increase the bonus.
READ MORE: Benefits uplift still unlikely to cover cost of essentials, say experts
DWP payments at Christmas
This year, most DWP payments scheduled to arrive in bank accounts on Christmas Day or Boxing Dayshould be paid on Christmas Eve instead.
This is typically the case in previous years to avoid any banking delays due to the bank holidays. Confirmation about the earlier payment is usually shared by the DWP in December.
READ MORE: Benefit fraud crackdown should not see claimants ‘de-banked’ – minister
