Millions of benefit claimants are eligible for an extra £10 boost every year in winter. Claimants of 24 different benefits will automatically receive a bonus payment if they meet certain criteria.
The DWP requires only two things to become eligible, and it will then send the money without requiring any forms to be filled out. The first thing is to ensure you are present in, or 'ordinarily resident' in, the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or Gibraltar during the qualifying week, which is normally the first full week of December.
Which benefits qualify for the Christmas Bonus?
You must also receive one of the 24 listed benefit payments, including the State Pension, Universal Credit, Carer's Allowance, and Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
If all of these criteria are met, the DWP will automatically send an extra £10 as a gift in December to help with Christmas costs. It may show up as 'DWP XB' on the bank statement.
History and value of the payment
The payment was introduced in 1972 by Ted Heath's Conservative Government and has remained unchanged ever since to help households with extra costs at Christmas.
It has not been uprated or increased since it launched over five decades ago and in today's money, it would be worth around £118 - when calculated under the composite price index published by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Who does not get the bonus?
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.
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 does not receive one of the qualifying benefits, they may still receive the Christmas Bonus if you're both over State Pension age by the end of the qualifying week and they were also present in or 'ordinarily resident' in the required countries.
Full list of qualifying benefits
- 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 Age Disability Payment
- Pension Credit - the 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 (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
