Christmas Bonus

Printable version

1. Overview

The Christmas Bonus is a one-off tax-free 拢10 payment made before Christmas, paid to people who get certain benefits in the qualifying week. This is normally the first full week of December.

You do not need to claim - you should get paid automatically.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

2. What you'll get

The Christmas Bonus is a one-off payment of 拢10.

If you get more than one Christmas Bonus, contact the Jobcentre Plus office that deals with your payments or the Pension Service.

It will not affect any other benefits you get.

How you鈥檙e paid

All benefits, pensions and allowances are normally paid into an account, such as your bank account. It may show up as 鈥楧WP XB鈥� on your bank statement.

3. Eligibility

To get a Christmas Bonus you must be present or 鈥榦rdinarily resident鈥� in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week.

If you live in or are moving to a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, find out about benefits for UK nationals in the EU, EEA and Switzerland.

You must also get at least one of the following benefits in the 鈥榪ualifying week鈥� - this is normally the first full week of December:

  • Adult Disability Payment
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Carer鈥檚 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 Age Disability Payment
  • 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鈥檚 Pension
  • Widowed Mother鈥檚 Allowance
  • Widowed Parent鈥檚 Allowance
  • Widow鈥檚 Pension

If you have not claimed your State Pension and are not entitled to one of the other qualifying benefits you will not get a Christmas Bonus.

4. How to claim

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 1 January, contact the Jobcentre Plus office that deals with your payments or the Pension Service.

5. Further information

If you鈥檙e part of a married couple, in a civil partnership or living together as if you are and you both get one of the qualifying benefits you鈥檒l each get a Christmas Bonus payment.

If your partner or civil partner does not get one of the qualifying benefits, they may still get the Christmas Bonus if both the following apply:

  • you鈥檙e both over State Pension age by the end of the qualifying week
  • your partner or civil partner was also present (or 鈥榦rdinarily resident鈥�) in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland during the qualifying week

One of the following must also apply:

  • you鈥檙e entitled to an increase of a qualifying benefit for your partner or civil partner
  • the only qualifying benefit you鈥檙e getting is Pension Credit