Fresh calls made for millions to receive £165 DWP Christmas Bonus payment

Over 20,600 individuals have put their names to an online petition, urging the UK Government to adjust the annual £10 Christmas Bonus payment in line with inflation. The tax-free £10 bonus has been given to millions of benefit recipients since its inception by Ted Heath's Conservative Government in 1972.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides this payment to those receiving State Pension or certain other benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance and Carer's Allowance - provided they meet the eligibility criteria during a specific qualifying period, usually the first full week in December. However, it hasn't seen an increase since its introduction over five decades ago.

In today's terms, it would be worth £165.36, according to the composite price index published by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS). Despite the petition being launched nearly a year ago on Change.org by Shona McMahon when the Conservatives were still in power, around 20,248 people have backed the proposal (at the time of writing), reports the Daily Record.

Ms McMahon argues: "Christmas is THE most expensive time of year! Pensioners, the vulnerable and people like myself, disabled, could do with an extra boost at this time of year, especially as the energy assistance has been axed."

She further added: "It was shocking to learn that the '£10 Christmas Bonus' has been the same for OVER FIVE DECADES!!"

A DWP spokesperson said: "We are taking immediate action to turn around the dire inheritance we face - with more people living in poverty now than 14 years ago.

"This includes extending the Household Support Fund for the most vulnerable, kickstarting work to develop a strategy to reduce child poverty, and taking the first steps towards delivering a genuine living wage for working people."

The DWP is set to issue a £10 Christmas Bonus to eligible recipients. While 22 benefits qualify for this payment, the 6.7 million individuals on Universal Credit will not be eligible.

The bonus will be processed as a separate transaction, meaning it could arrive on a different day than the usual State Pension or benefit payment. There's no need to apply; the bonus should automatically be deposited into the account where benefits or State Pensions are normally received and will appear as 'DWP XB' on bank statements.

To be eligible for the Christmas Bonus, you must be living or 'ordinarily resident' in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, or Gibraltar during the qualifying week. This year, it is anticipated to be between December 2 - 8, 2024.

The DWP will notify eligible claimants that they will receive the £10 bonus in December, although this notification may arrive after the payment has been made.

You must also be receiving at least one of the following benefits in the qualifying week:

• Adult Disability Payment (Scotland only)
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Carer Support Payment (Scotland only)
• Child Disability Payment (Scotland only)
• 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 (Scotland only)
• 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