The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is set to distribute an annual £10 Christmas Bonus to eligible benefit claimants in December. This one-off payment aims to provide a financial boost to assist with expenses during the festive season. The bonus is awarded automatically to those who qualify, eliminating the need for formal applications and ensuring timely support for recipients.
Eligibility Criteria for the Christmas Bonus
To qualify for the Christmas Bonus, individuals must be receiving an eligible benefit during a specific qualifying week, which is typically designated as the first full week of December. The range of qualifying benefits includes:
– Adult Disability Payment
– Armed Forces Independence Payment
– Attendance Allowance
– Carer’s Allowance
– Carer Support Payment
– Child Disability Payment
– Constant Attendance Allowance (under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
– Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (after the initial 13 weeks)
– 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 (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 (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
The DWP specifies that merely claiming Universal Credit does not guarantee eligibility for the Christmas Bonus. Those who do not claim their State Pension or other qualifying benefits will also be excluded from receiving this payment.
Payment Timeline and Identification
Recipients can generally expect the Christmas Bonus to appear in their bank accounts at the beginning of December. While the DWP has not provided a specific payment date, individuals can easily identify the deposit. The transaction will typically show up on bank statements with the reference ‘XB’ or ‘DWP XB’.
It is essential for claimants to note that eligibility is not solely determined by the receipt of a qualifying benefit; individuals must also reside in specific geographical areas during the qualifying week. These areas include the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, or Gibraltar. If both partners in a marriage or civil partnership are in receipt of a qualifying benefit, they will each receive the £10 bonus. Additionally, if both partners are over State Pension age by the end of the qualifying week, a non-benefit receiving partner may also be eligible.
As the festive season approaches, the DWP’s Christmas Bonus serves as a timely financial support for those in need, reinforcing the importance of social safety nets during this period.
