More than 15,000 people have signed a petition urging the government to raise a Christmas bonus that has remained £10 over 50 years.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have offered the one-off amount to pensioners, vulnerable people and carers every Christmas as a gesture of goodwill.
But many people hadn’t realised the amount has been the same since it was introduced in 1972.
It was temporarily increased by Labour in 2008 to £70 because of the financial crash but this went back to £10 the following year.
People commenting on the Change.org petition described the amount as ‘an insult’ and ‘pathetic’.
If the bonus had been raised in line with inflation, it would now be worth around £115.
The petition was launched by Shona McMahon in last year, but the number of people signing it continues to grow.
It comes after MPS voted yesterday massively scale back winter fuel support for pensioners.
The benefit was previously offered to all pensioners aged 66 and above, but will now be means tested.
Writing on the petition page, which calls on the DWP to raise the bonus in line with inflation or more, she Ms McMahon said: ‘I was reading about the DWP “Christmas Bonus” – how many years has it been at £10 now, I wondered?
‘I googled the question and would you believe it’s been £10 since it was introduced.. IN 1972!!’
She added: ‘It was shocking to learn that the “£10 Christmas Bonus”, has been the same for OVER FIVE DECADES!!’
Ms McMahon said: ‘Christmas is the most expensive time of year’ and ‘pensioners, the vulnerable and people like myself, disabled, could do with an extra boost at this time of year’.
She wrote: ‘This isn’t asking for “just another handout”. This is for those of us that don’t have an option to earn anything extra.’
According to the UK government website: ‘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. This is normally the first full week of December.’
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’.
You also have to receive at least one of the following benefits during the ‘qualifying week’.
But those who haven’t claimed their State Pension will not receive the bonus, unless they also get another benefit.
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:
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.
It should come up as ‘DWP XB’ in your statement.
Anyone who believes they should receive the Christmas Bonus but doesn’t get it in December should get in touch with the Jobcentre Plus office which deals with payments or alternatively you can contact the Pension Service.
Labour has so far not commented on the Christmas bonus.
The Metro has approached the DWP for comment.
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