DWP to give one-off bonus payment to thousands before Christmas

Thousands of UK households will get a one-off bonus payment from the government just in time for Christmas.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will issue a tax-free payment of £10 to eligible households from next month.

The Christmas Bonus is given to people who are claiming certain benefits and is paid automatically to those who qualify in the first full week of December.

To qualify for bonus £10, you must live or be “ordinarily resident” in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week, which this year is from December 2 to 8, 2024.

You must be receiving at least one of the following benefits in this qualifying week to be eligible for the payment:

• 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

If you haven’t claimed your State Pension and you’re not entitled to one of the other qualifying benefits then you won’t get a Christmas Bonus.

If you are a married couple, in a civil partnership, or living together as if you are, and you both receive one of the above qualifying benefits, then you will each get a Christmas bonus payment from the DWP.

If your partner doesn’t get one of the qualifying benefits, they may still be eligible for the payment if both of the following criteria 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 DWP says you don’t need to claim the bonus as it will be paid automatically and won’t affect any other benefits you get.

The £10 payment will be sent directly to your bank account and should appear as ‘DWP XB’ on your bank statement.

Anyone who thinks they are entitled to the Christmas bonus but hasn’t received it in the first week of December is advised to contact the Jobcentre Plus office that deals with your payments or the Pension Service.