Every year, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) offers a Christmas bonus to people who receive certain benefits.
The bonus is normally issued in early December and is worth £10. The payment’s goal is to assist people with additional costs, but it has garnered a lot of criticism over the years.
Claimants have previously described the modest sum as “ludicrous” and “a joke” in light of escalating expenditures.
The one-time, tax-free incentive was originally implemented in 1972 as part of the Pensioners’ and Family Income Supplement Payments Act.
Except for 2008, when it was temporarily increased to £70 to help people during the financial meltdown, the bonus has remained at £10 since its inception five decades ago.
Who can get the £10 Christmas Bonus?
The DWP will once again pay the cash this year to people who live or are a “ordinarily resident” in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar receiving one of the qualifying benefits.
According to the DWP website, these include:
- 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
The DWP further states that those who have not claimed their State Pension and are not eligible for one of the other qualifying benefits will not be eligible for the bonus.