DWP benefits claimants due 'bonus' payment before end of year

You must be claiming one of a number of benefits to qualify for the one-off payment

Benefits claimants across the UK will receive a one-off payment before the end of the year. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will hand out the Christmas Bonus, which is a one-off tax-free payment.

It is paid ahead of Christmas to people on certain benefits in the qualifying week - which is usually the first full week of December. If you are eligible, the cash bonus is paid automatically into your account meaning you do not need to apply for it.

The cash should be paid into your usual account and may show up as 'DWP XB' on your bank statement. It does not affect any other benefits that you get.

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You have to be a resident of the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week. To be eligible, you must also claim one of these 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 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 will not receive the one-off £10 Christmas Bonus if you have not claimed your State Pension and are not entitled to one of the other qualifying benefits. Gov.uk said: "You do not need to claim the Christmas Bonus - you should get it automatically.

"If you think you should get it, but have not by January 1, contact the Jobcentre Plus office that deals with your payments or the Pension Service." The Christmas Bonus is calculated for each individual so if you are married, in a civil partnership or living together and both get a qualifying benefit, you should both get the payment.

Even if your partner or spouse does not get one of the qualifying benefits, they may still get the Christmas Bonus. This will happen if:

• 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

But you must also be entitled to an increase of a qualifying benefit for your partner or civil partner or Pension Credit must be the only qualifying benefit you receive.