The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is giving certain benefit claimants a cash bonus in time for Christmas this year.
People on Universal Credit, among other benefits, will receive a one-off tax-free £10 payment this week.
The top-up will come as a boost to claimants who have recently had the £20-a-week uplift cut from their payments.
READ MORE: Benefit claimants could be owed £1,500 from DWP in backdated payments
The boost is also available to those who also claim other DWP payments, including Personal Independence Payments and Jobseeker's Allowance.
To be eligible for the Christmas bonus, you must be living in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, any European Economic Area (EEA) country, or Switzerland during the qualifying week.
The DWP will write to eligible claimants advising them that they will be receiving the £10 bonus.
You must also be receiving at least one of the following benefits:
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- 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 (DLA)
- 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
If you haven’t claimed your State Pension and aren’t entitled to one of the other qualifying benefits, you won’t get a Christmas Bonus.
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 doesn’t 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 living in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland during the qualifying week
And 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
How do I claim?
You don’t need to claim the Christmas Bonus, the DWP will pay it out automatically.
If you think you should get it, but don’t receive it, contact the Jobcentre Plus office or pension centre that deals with your payments
. Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
