Millions of people on PIP, DLA and ESA to receive winter cash boost from DWP

Millions of people on disability benefits including Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and their Scottish counterparts, Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment, are to get a winter cash boost from the DWP. The extra money will also go to those on one type of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and its predecessor, Incapacity Benefit.

The Department for Work and Pensions is to give a Christmas Bonus to people who get certain benefits in the qualifying week, which is the first full week of December. The tax-free sum of £10 will go into people's bank accounts shortly afterwards, usually as a separate payment so it can be easily identified.

You won't need to put in a claim as eligibility is calculated by the DWP and you should get paid automatically. The Christmas Bonus has almost always been the same amount since it was introduced in 1972 - except when it was temporarily increased to £70 in 2008 after the financial crash - but would be £115 today if adjusted with inflation.

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More than 3.6 million people receive PIP for disabilities and long-term physical and mental health conditions while another 1.3 million are on DLA. A total of over 1.5 million people receive ESA but nearly 900,000 of those are being moved over to Universal Credit if they are on the income-related version.

The full list of disability and incapacity benefits that are eligible for the DWP Christmas Bonus are as follows:

• Adult Disability Payment (in Scotland)
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Attendance Allowance
• Child Disability Payment (in Scotland)
• Constant Attendance Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
• Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - once the main phase of the benefit is entered after the first 13 weeks. Eligibility for this benefit is based on having sufficient National Insurance contributions over the past two to three years
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
• Mobility Supplement
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected)
• Unemployability Supplement or Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)

The cash will also go to anyone with caring responsibilities who receives either Carer's Allowance or Carer Support Payment, and to older people who get any of these:

• State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
• War Disablement Pension at State Pension age
• Widow's Pension
• War Widow's Pension
• Pension Credit - the guarantee element

In addition, those who are receiving Widowed Mother's Allowance, Widowed Parent's Allowance, or Industrial Death Benefit (for widows or widowers) will also get the bonus. However, means-tested benefits for those of working age, such as Universal Credit and income-related ESA, are excluded. Anyone who has deferred their State Pension - meaning they've delayed taking it even though they are entitled - won't be eligible either.

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