Millions of people will get a small extra payment from the DWP in December: the Christmas Bonus. It’s a one-off, tax-free £10, and you don’t have to apply for it.
Let’s be honest, £10 doesn’t go far these days. The amount has stayed the same since the bonus was introduced in 1972, and campaigners regularly call for it to be raised. But it’s still worth knowing whether you’re due it, especially since some common benefits, including Universal Credit, aren’t on the list.
Here’s who qualifies, when it’s paid and what to check.
The full list of qualifying benefits
You’ll get the Christmas Bonus if you receive at least one of these during the qualifying week, according to GOV.UK. We’ve grouped them to make the list easier to scan.
Pensions
- State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
- Pension Credit (guarantee element only)
- War Disablement Pension (at State Pension age)
- War Widow’s Pension
- Widow’s Pension
- Widowed Mother’s Allowance
- Widowed Parent’s Allowance
Disability and care
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Constant Attendance Allowance (Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
- Mobility Supplement
- Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected)
- Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
- Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance, once you’re past the first 13 weeks of your claim
- Industrial Death Benefit (for widows or widowers)
- Unemployability Supplement or Allowance (Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
Scottish benefits
- Adult Disability Payment
- Child Disability Payment
- Carer Support Payment
- Pension Age Disability Payment
- Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance
Not on the list: Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Housing Benefit, income-related ESA on its own, and the savings part of Pension Credit. If one of those is your only benefit, you won’t get the bonus.
The other rules
The qualifying week. You need to be getting a qualifying benefit during the qualifying week, which is normally the first full week of December. This year, that should be Monday, December 7 to Sunday, December 13.
Where you live. You must be present in, or normally living in, the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar during that week. If you live in an EEA country or Switzerland, different rules apply, so check GOV.UK’s guidance for UK nationals abroad.
You need to have claimed your State Pension. If you’ve reached State Pension age but haven’t claimed it, and you don’t get any other qualifying benefit, you won’t get the bonus.
Couples. If you and your partner both get a qualifying benefit, you each get £10. If your partner doesn’t get one, they may still qualify for their own bonus if you’re both over State Pension age by the end of the qualifying week, and either you get an increase in your benefit for them or your only qualifying benefit is Pension Credit. This applies to married couples, civil partners and people living together as a couple.
When you’ll get it
The bonus is paid automatically into the same account as your usual benefit, before Christmas. Most people see it in early December, often alongside or close to their regular payment after the qualifying week. You don’t need to fill in a form or call anyone.
It’s tax-free, so it won’t push up your tax bill.
If you’re sure you qualify but nothing has arrived by Christmas, contact the office that pays your qualifying benefit. For most pensioners, that’s the Pension Service.
Watch out for scams. Every year, fraudsters send texts and emails about “claiming” a DWP Christmas payment or a bigger winter bonus. The DWP never asks you to apply for the Christmas Bonus or to share bank details by text. If a message asks you to click a link to get it, delete it.
Source: GOV.UK: Christmas Bonus and eligibility rules.
Maria is a dedicated news writer covering the latest UK updates on DWP, PIP, State Pension Triple Lock, Child Benefit, Universal Credit, and driving licence regulations. She focuses on explaining government announcements, benefit eligibility, payment changes, pension increases, and new regulations in a clear and easy-to-understand way.