The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will pay a Christmas bonus to people claiming Pension Credit before the end of this year.
Pension Credit tops up your income and also unlocks other perks such as the Winter Fuel Payment and a free TV licence for the over-75s. Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you’re single, or your joint weekly income to £332.95 if you have a partner. This is called the main part, or "guarantee element", of Pension Credit.
If you're in receipt of this, then the DWP will pay you a Christmas bonus worth £10 at the start of December. You have to be receiving one of the following benefits in the "qualifying week" - which is usually the first full week of December - to get the Christmas bonus:
Do you think the £10 Christmas bonus is enough? Let us know: [email protected]
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
You must also be present or "ordinarily resident" in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week. If you’re a married couple, in a civil partnership or living together, it is possible for both of you to get the Christmas bonus. You each need to be claiming one of the qualifying benefits.
If you’re entitled to the £10 cash, then it should get paid automatically - you won’t need to apply for it. The Christmas payment may show up as "DWP XB" on your bank statement, is tax-free, and does not affect any of your other benefits. If one partner does not receive one of the qualifying benefits, they may still be eligible for the payment, as long as they meet both of the following requirements:
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:
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
This Christmas bonus was introduced by the DWP in 1972 - but families have criticised it as an "insult" as the payment has not ever been permanently increased since its launch. It was briefly raised to £70 in 2008 to support people during the financial crash but was reduced back to £10 the following year.
