DWP to pay one-off Christmas bonus next month – are you eligible?

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed it will issue its £10 Christmas Bonus to everyone eligible from next month.

Thousands of people across the UK are in line to get the one-off payment from the government in time for Christmas.

The payment will go to everyone who receives certain benefits around the country.

To be eligible you have to live or be ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar in the ‘qualifying week’.

The ‘qualifying week’ in this context is the first week in December.

The DWP says those who qualify do not need to take any action to claim the bonus.

It will automatically be paid into your bank account and won’t impact any of the other benefits you receive.

The £10 payment will be sent directly to bank accounts and should come up as ‘DWP XB’ in your bank statement.

You will get the Christmas Bonus if you receive at least one of the following benefits during the first week of December:

• 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

But those who haven’t claimed their State Pension will not receive the bonus, unless they also get another benefit.

If you’re part of a married couple or civil partnership, or living together as if you are, and both of you get at least one of the above benefits, then you will both receive £10 each.

If only one of you in a couple usually receives a benefit or benefits, and your partner doesn’t, they may still also be eligible for the bonus payment if any of 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 and, either the only qualifying benefit you’re getting is Pension Credit or you’re entitled to an increase of a qualifying benefit for your partner or civil partner.

Anyone who believes they should receive the Christmas Bonus but doesn’t get it in the first week of December should get in touch with the Jobcentre Plus office which deals with payments or alternatively you can contact the Pension Service.

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