Millions of households across the UK are being advised to urgently check their bank accounts for a crucial Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) payment that may be missing. The call to action concerns the annual Christmas bonus, a £10 sum paid to those receiving certain state benefits.
What is the DWP Christmas bonus and who should have received it?
The one-off, tax-free Christmas bonus is typically issued automatically in early December. For most eligible recipients, it will appear on bank statements marked as "DWP XB". The payment is designed not to affect any other benefits you receive.
To qualify for the £10 payment, individuals must have been receiving one of a specified list of benefits during the first full week of December, known as the 'qualifying week'. They must also have been present or 'ordinarily resident' in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, or Gibraltar during that period.
The extensive list of qualifying benefits includes:
- State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
- Pension Credit
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Adult Disability Payment
- Disability Living Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Attendance Allowance
- Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (after the initial 13-week assessment phase)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- And several other industrial injury or war pension-related allowances.
What to do if your £10 payment hasn't arrived
Official government guidance on GOV.UK is clear: if you believe you meet the eligibility criteria but had not received your payment by 1 January, you must take action. The DWP advises claimants to contact the Jobcentre Plus office that handles their payments or the Pension Service directly to query the missing sum.
For couples, both partners may be eligible for the bonus if they each claim a qualifying benefit. There are also specific rules for partners where only one receives a qualifying benefit, particularly if both are over State Pension age.
A payment frozen in time amid rising costs
The call to check for this payment comes against a backdrop where the bonus amount has been widely criticised. At £10, the payment has not been permanently increased since its introduction in 1972. Many households and campaigners have labelled the unchanged sum as an "insult" given the sustained pressures of high inflation and soaring household bills over recent years.
The bonus was temporarily increased to £70 in 2008 to provide additional support during the financial crisis but was reverted to its longstanding £10 rate the following year.
With the deadline for automatic payments now passed, beneficiaries are encouraged to scrutinise their statements and reach out to the DWP promptly to ensure they receive what they are owed.
