All the DWP benefits that qualify for Christmas bonus payment - full list of who's eligible
by Sonia Sharma · ChronicleLiveScores of households are set to receive a a cash boost before Christmas.
The Christmas Bonus is a one-off tax-free £10 payment given to people who receive certain benefits in the qualifying week. This is normally the first full week of December.
You do not need to claim this bonus - you should get paid automatically, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The £10 will show up as "DWP XB" on your bank statement.
To get a Christmas Bonus you must be present or ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week. You must also get at least one of the following benefits in the qualifying week.
The full list of benefits eligible for Christmas Bonus
- Adult Disability Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Carer Support Payment
- 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
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If you have not claimed your State Pension and are not entitled to one of the other qualifying benefits you will not get a Christmas Bonus, the DWP adds. If you think you should get the Christmas Bonus but have not received it by January 1, contact the Jobcentre Plus office that deals with your payments or the Pension Service.
If you’re part of a married couple, in a civil partnership or living together as if you are and you both get one of the qualifying benefits you’ll each get a Christmas Bonus payment. If your partner or civil partner does not get one of the qualifying benefits, they may still get the Christmas Bonus if both 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
One of the following must also apply:
- you’re entitled to an increase of a qualifying benefit for your partner or civil partner
- the only qualifying benefit you’re getting is Pension Credit
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