Millions of households are poised to receive a one-off £10 payment from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) starting December 2, aimed at helping with additional costs and bills over the festive period. This tax-free payment will be dispatched to individuals receiving certain benefits, such as carer’s allowance, adult disability payment, the state pension, pension credit and personal independent payment (PIP), during the ‘qualifying week’, typically the first week in December which this year commences on the 2nd.
However, households claiming universal credit or those who haven’t claimed their state pension and aren’t entitled to one of the other qualifying benefits won’t receive the payment. The payment will be automatically sent to qualifying bank accounts, so there’s no need to apply.
If two people in your household are separately claiming benefits, you’ll both receive £10 each and it won’t affect your benefits. The £10 bonus was initially introduced as part of the Pensioners’ and Family Income Supplement Payments Act in 1972.
All benefits, pensions and allowances are usually paid into an account, like your bank account. It may appear as ‘DWP XB’ on your bank statement.
Those who believe they should receive it but haven’t by 1 January should contact the Jobcentre Plus office that handles their payments or the Pension Service.
The DWP will distribute the bonus to anyone living in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar who claim the following benefits:
- 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)
- 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
- Severe disability allowance
- 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
Thousands of individuals are rallying behind a petition pressing the Government to adjust the Christmas bonus to match inflation following the recent alterations in the winter fuel payment. The campaign, initiated in October 2023 by Shona McMahon, argues for an inflation-based increase of the Christmas bonus, untouched since its inception over half a century ago.
She expressed at the outset: “Christmas is THE most expensive time of year! Pensioners, the vulnerable, and people like myself, disabled, could do with an extra boost at this time of year, especially as the energy assistance has been axed. It was shocking to learn that the ‘£10 Christmas Bonus’ has been the same for over five decades! “.
Ms McMahon highlighted that although the bonus has stagnated at £10 since 1972, accounting for inflation, it should now be around £113.18. As of September, when the petition surpassed 16,000 signatures, the DWP asserted there were no plans to overhaul the Christmas bonus arrangements.
However, the campaign has gained further momentum, with the number of supporters reaching 22,150 signatures.
A representative from the DWP previously stated: “We’re protecting the most vulnerable by extending the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments for 2025-26 and, alongside this, we want to fix the fundamentals of the social security system, so people don’t rely on crisis support.”
“That’s why this Government is increasing the National Living Wage, uprating benefits and helping over one million households by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions, while our Child Poverty Taskforce develops an ambitious strategy to give all children the best start in life.”
